According to calculations by researchers from the Almaty Air Initiative, based on 2023 data, the average Almaty resident inhales pollution equivalent to 487 cigarettes per year — that’s 24 packs of cigarettes annually for every man, woman, and child.

For this calculation, we used two key data sources: an analysis of pollutant concentration based on the Clarity Movement monitoring network (openmap.clarity.io) and findings from a study conducted by Richard A. Muller and Elizabeth A. Muller.

We followed the same method as researchers Richard and Elizabeth Muller: one cigarette per day is approximately equivalent to a PM2.5 level of 22 µg/m³. Doubling that level equals two cigarettes per day. The equivalence between the harm caused by smoking and that caused by air pollution was calculated based on their relative impact on mortality. Of course, unlike smoking, air pollution affects all age groups.

We relied on data showing the average air pollution level in Almaty in 2023 was 30 µg/m³. This corresponds to 1.4 cigarettes per day for the average resident, or 487 cigarettes per year.

That may sound bad, but the reality could be even worse. Studies estimate that for every person who dies from smoking, there are dozens more who suffer from serious health problems linked to polluted air.

Air pollution claims more lives annually worldwide than AIDS, malaria, diabetes, or tuberculosis, making it one of the largest ongoing environmental catastrophes. These figures point to the urgent need for measures to improve air quality in Almaty in order to provide healthier living conditions for its residents, which is something our organization is actively working on.