According to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, air pollution could cause 6-9 million premature deaths by 2060, with the biggest mortality rate spike forecasted in India. It is also likely to cost 1% of the global GDP, around $2.6 trillion annually, in terms of sick days, medical bills and reduced agricultural output, the report added.

The Economic Consequences of Air Pollution report said the outdoor air pollution caused more than 3 million premature deaths in 2010. The projections imply a doubling, or even tripling, of premature deaths from dirty air – or one premature death every four or five seconds – by 2060.

The report said a large number of deaths occur in densely populated regions with high concentrations of PM 2.5 and ozone, especially China and India, and in regions with aging populations, such as China and Eastern Europe.

One key difference between the two countries is the age structure of the population: India has a much younger population, while aging is projected to become a more severe problem in China.