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last mo.

Study Finds London Air Pollution Deaths Fell About 40% Since 2019

Falling PM2.5 and NO2 point to measurable health gains, with the report stopping short of naming a single cause.

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Overview

  • The Imperial College London report released Wednesday estimates premature deaths linked to air pollution fell from about 6,400–8,000 in 2019 to 3,800–5,100 in 2024, a roughly 40% drop.
  • Measured concentrations of key pollutants fell sharply over the same period, with PM2.5 down about 28% and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) down about 41%.
  • The study was commissioned by the Greater London Authority and Transport for London and uses an updated, stronger method, but it explicitly does not attribute the improvements to any single policy.
  • Mayor Sadiq Khan and public‑health groups say the findings support ULEZ and other clean‑air measures, while some local politicians argue fleet turnover and broader trends explain much of the change.
  • Despite citywide gains, thousands of pollution-linked deaths remain and outer boroughs such as Bexley, Havering and Sutton still show higher mortality, underscoring that further action is needed.