Air pollution may be making people unhappy: Study

The study, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, found that higher levels of pollution are associated with a decrease in people's happiness levels.

pollution, air pollution, air quality, china, happiness, health, us, social media, world news, indian express — For many years, China has been struggling to tackle high pollution levels that are crippling its major cities, said researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. (Representational Image)

Air pollution may contribute to low levels of happiness among the urban population, according to a study which combed through millions of social media posts from residents of 144 Chinese cities.

For many years, China has been struggling to tackle high pollution levels that are crippling its major cities, said researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.

The study, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, found that higher levels of pollution are associated with a decrease in people’s happiness levels.

Despite an annual economic growth rate of eight per cent, satisfaction levels amongst China’s urban population have not risen as much as would be expected, researchers said.

1m 5s

Delhi smog: Homeless and in a haze

The homeless people in New Delhi bear the brunt of the capital's high levels of pollution, through constant exposure to a toxic brew of car fumes, factory exhaust and construction dust. Each winter the city of 20 million chokes through haze so ext...

Alongside inadequate public services, soaring house prices, and concerns over food safety, air pollution — caused by the country’s industrialisation, coal burning, and increasing use of cars — has had a significant impact on quality of life in urban areas.

Research has previously shown that air pollution is damaging to health, cognitive performance, labour productivity, and educational outcomes.