The World Health Organisation says an estimated seven million people worldwide die every year from outdoor and household air pollution.
It said that ambient air pollution alone caused 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths the same year.
WHO said that new data from the organisation showed that air pollution levels remained dangerously high in many parts of the world as nine out of 10 people still breath air containing high levels of pollutant. It said that the poorest and most marginalised people bore the brunt of this burden.
WHO said that this was because air pollution-related deaths occurred in low and middle income countries in Asia, Africa and middle income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and Americas.
WHO estimates that around seven million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrates deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system causing diseases such as stroke, heart disease and lung cancer.
It quoted WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus as saying it is unacceptable that over three billion people more of whom are women and children are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes.