Our air 2024

Every day, adults take around 20,000 breaths of air. Children, who breathe faster, take even more. The air we breathe plays an important role in both our health and quality of life. Air quality in Aotearoa compares well internationally across the country as a whole. But air pollution is a highly localised issue, and at particular times and places and under certain conditions, our air can pose public health risks.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ report on the state of different aspects of the environment – for example, atmosphere and climate, freshwater, land and the environment as a whole. Our air 2024 reports on pressures our activities put on the air and how these changes to the state of the environment can impact our lives.

The report looks at the impacts on air quality from a variety of sources, including gas and particulate matter pollutants, natural sources of particulate matter and pollutants we might not immediately associate with air – light, noise and odour.

Our connections to air and why air quality matters

The word hau means air or wind. Hau also refers to the vital essence or vitality of a person, place or object. The origins of these kupu (words) recognise that our health (hauora) and the health of the air (hau takiwā) are interlinked. While we cannot see the air, its presence is made visible by its impacts on people and the environment.

Air quality directly affects our health and our quality of life. Air pollution is a factor in the premature deaths of thousands of New Zealanders every year. It contributes to hospitalisations and other health impacts and results in billions of dollars in economic costs .

The impacts of air pollution are not spread evenly across the population. Some groups are more likely to be affected, including Māori and Pacific peoples, children, the elderly and those living in the most deprived areas.

Sources of air pollution

Home heating and transport are major human sources of air pollution in Aotearoa.

Per capita, our vehicle ownership is among the highest in the world and continues to grow as our population increases. As of 2022, our fleet size is the largest to date, with the largest percentage of diesel vehicles (21%). The total vehicle kilometres travelled has also increased – one factor is urban sprawl, which leads to longer drives.

In 2019, particulates and gases from human-made air pollution were associated with 3,239 premature deaths, 13,237 hospitalisations, 12,653 cases of childhood asthma and over 1.771 million restricted activity days.

Air pollution from motor vehicles alone accounted for 71% of estimated hospitalizations (nearly 9,400 cases) and 68% of premature deaths (2,247 cases).

Annual social costs from air pollution were estimated at $15.3 billion. Air pollution from motor vehicles accounted for 69% ($10.5 billion) of these costs with the majority of the remaining costs attributed to domestic fires.

Our air 2024

Although heat pumps and electric heaters are the most common types of heating, around a third of households still use wood or pellet burners. Fewer households are using wood burners – the numbers vary due to regional regulations, winter conditions, the affordability of alternative heating options and personal preferences.

Air pollution from wood burners is significantly influenced by climate conditions and topography. Towns and cities situated in valleys and basins often face air quality problems during cooler months when home heating emissions are high. Calm weather and temperature inversion can trap pollutants close to the ground.

Additional sources

Commercial activities also emit air polluants. Agricultural activities (including tillage, harvesting and livestock intensification) can be a large source of particulate matter. Burning fossil fuels for manufacturing, construction, public electricity and heating emit a range of particulate matter and gas pollutants. Dust from unsealed roads contributes around 28% of PM₁₀ emissions.

Natural sources of wind-blown dust come from exposed topsoil, dry riverbeds, sand dunes, plant pollen and volcanic eruptions. Sea salt is the largest natural source of particulate matter in urban areas of Aotearoa. In Auckland, sea salt is a major source of PM₁₀ during summer.

Undesirable odours contribute to air quality concerns. Noise and light pollution are growing environmental problems, all of which can affect our quality of life.

Between 2012 and 2021, the lit surface area of Aotearoa increased by 37.4% (from 3.0% to 4.2%), despite 95% of the country having no direct emissions of artificial light at night.

Our air 2024

It’s not just humans that are impacted by reduced air quality. There is global evidence that particulate matter and gaseous emissions can harm biodiversity across many ecosystems. In Aotearoa, we’re seeing how light pollution can negatively impact native species.

Finding solutions and taking action

Reports like Our air 2024 show that we have an adept understanding of the pressures we’ve placed on the environment.

We have a lot to be grateful for – our clean air and smog-free skies provide lots of benefits and are a major drawcard for international visitors. However, as our understanding of the full health impacts of air pollution grows, it is becoming evident that, for most pollutants, there is no safe level.

The good news is we can make changes, and when we do, we can see improvements almost immediately. Since the last air report in 2021, air quality has improved across many of the country’s monitoring sites, largely due to reductions in transport and home heating emissions.

There are steps that we can take to protect the air that we breathe. For example, the Ministry of Education is committed to the removal of all remaining coal boilers in public schools and installing low-emissions alternatives. How we get to school can also make a difference. Consider active transport – walking, biking or scootering to benefit both your hauora and hau takiwā!