India Beats China: 1.1 Mn Indians Died Early Due to Air Pollution

More than 95 percent of the world's population is breathing unhealthy air, with India and China jointly contributing to over 50 percent of global deaths attributed to pollution, a new report has found.

According to the annual State of Global Air Report, published on Tuesday by the Boston-based Health Effects Institute (HEI), long-term exposure to air pollution contributed to an estimated 6.1 million deaths across the globe in 2016, reports CNN.

The report found that India topped China for early deaths from outdoor air pollution with 1.1 million in 2016.

While China had made some progress in declining air pollution, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have experienced the steepest increases in air pollution levels since 2010, it added.