CAMS: 34% Faced Extremely Poor Ozone Air Quality

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) reported that 34% of the world’s population experienced extremely poor ground-level ozone air quality from January 1 through September 15, 2026, with exposure highest in Asia. The assessment, based on satellite data and computer models, found that ozone concentrations for this group were well above the World Health Organization’s exposure guidance. CAMS also reported that a further 17% of the global population experienced very poor ozone air quality during the period, while 5% had good levels. In Asia, 53% of residents were in the extremely poor category and another 22% in the very poor category. New Delhi, Dhaka, Chongqing and Lahore were among the cities identified with extremely poor ozone levels. The global figures vary across the reporting: other accounts of the CAMS assessment described nearly 40% of the population as exposed to dangerous or extremely high ozone levels, using broader descriptions and different stated time windows.