PM2.5 air pollution costs Japan $110bn a year, study finds

Impact goes beyond medical costs to lost workdays and reduced life quality

Osaka's skyline is seen through a shroud of fine dust. In relative terms, PM2.5 air pollution takes a higher economic toll on western Japan than on the nation's east. (Photo by Yo Inoue)

MANA KURODA

April 5, 2025 11:08 JST

TOKYO -- The economic burden of health problems caused by hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 totals about $110 billion a year in Japan, according to a study by the University of Tokyo.

The study, led by associate professor Yin Long, was published in a journal affiliated with Nature. The research team examined regional GDP data from 2001 to 2019, taking into account not only health care costs but also lost income from being unable to work, physical discomfort, mental stress and reduced quality of life. In depopulated and aging rural areas, a lack of medical resources makes the burden particularly heavy.