According to the American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air report, more than 156 million Americans are breathing air that is deemed unhealthy. That’s nearly half of the country.
The report analyzed data collected between 2021 and 2023. The results of that analysis paint a stark picture. During this time, the U.S. experienced record-breaking wildfire seasons, which pushed dangerous smoke into the Midwest and Eastern states. The result was a surge in air quality alerts and increased exposure to harmful pollutants, even in regions that historically scored well.
The numbers are sobering, to say the least. More than 42 million Americans live in areas that failed all three key air quality measures, and over 125 million live in counties with failing ozone grades. Fine particulate pollution, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, affects at least 77 million Americans daily. This isn’t even taking into account the threat of microplastics we’re facing right now, either.
And not everyone is impacted equally. People of color are more than twice as likely as white Americans to live in communities with the highest levels of ozone and particulate pollution. For Hispanic communities, the risk is threefold.
The Clean Air Act initially helped drive progress, reducing pollution levels by nearly 80% since the 1970s. However, recent moves to loosen environmental regulations could undo decades of work. The Trump administration is actively seeking to roll back emissions limits and ramp up coal use again. Meanwhile, critical clean air policies introduced during the Biden presidency rest on the chopping block.
What’s even more alarming is that these statistics may underrepresent the problem. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. counties lack consistent air quality monitoring, according to a new study. That means millions more Americans breathing unhealthy air might not even be accounted for in the data we have.
Without strong policies and public pressure, the number of Americans breathing unhealthy air will only grow as climate change worsens. Clean air should not be a luxury. It’s a basic need, and it’s one that’s rapidly slipping out of reach for far too many people.
