North Macedonia is the country most affected by air pollution in Europe, followed by Serbia, Euronews reports, citing a report by the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), quoted by Focus.
Albania, Bulgaria and Montenegro are also among the countries with high levels of air pollution.
According to reports from the European Environment Agency, exposure to harmful PM2.5 particles led to around 239,000 premature deaths in Europe in 2021, while another 48,000 people died from exposure to nitrogen dioxide.
A report by the Institute of Public Health in North Macedonia last year indicated that almost 18% of the country's total mortality could be linked to high concentrations of PM2.5 in the air.
In addition, UNICEF warned that one in nine newborn deaths in North Macedonia is directly linked to dirty air, highlighting the serious health risks for the most vulnerable groups in society.