Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/271815 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 10171
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
We use worldwide satellite data to analyse how population size and density affect urban pollution. We find that density significantly increases pollution exposure. Looking only at urban areas, we find that population size affects exposure more than density. Moreover, the effect is driven mostly by population commuting to core cities rather than the core city population itself. We analyse heterogeneity by geography and income levels. By and large, the influence of population on pol-lution is greatest in Asia and middle-income countries. A counterfactual simulation shows that PM2.5 exposure would fall by up to 36% and NO2 exposure up to 53% if within countries population size were equalized across all cities.
Subjects: 
population density
air pollution
gridded data
JEL: 
Q53
R12
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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