Road transport generated 5.8 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2023. This sector is linked to millions of premature deaths each year from air pollution. The following data connects emissions, vehicle fleets, and regulatory realities.
Key Takeaways
- 6.7 million deaths per year are attributable to ambient (outdoor) air pollution
- 4.1 million deaths per year are attributable to household air pollution from household sources
- In 2019, transport accounted for 24% of global energy-related CO2 emissions
- In 2023, global CO2 emissions from road transport were 5.8 Gt CO2
- In 2019, global road transport accounted for about 40% of transportation NOx emissions
- In the US, on-road vehicles were responsible for about 55% of transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions in 2022
- In 2020, the global fleet size of passenger cars was about 1.1 billion vehicles
- In 2022, there were about 1.4 billion passenger cars worldwide
- In 2023, the share of BEVs in total new car sales reached 18% globally (IEA)
- 70% of total transport CO2 reductions in the IEA’s Net Zero scenario come from efficiency and electrification measures rather than behavioral change alone (measure contribution share).
- 80% of urban transport demand is served by cars and buses in many mid-income cities, driving local NOx and PM hotspots (typical modal split reported in urban transport syntheses).
- In 2023, the global market size for 'Alternative Fuel Infrastructure' was $32.7 billion
- 1.8 million is the number of public EV charging points globally reported for end-2023 (publicly accessible charging infrastructure).
- The EU's Euro 6 standards introduced a conformity factor for real-driving emissions (RDE) with a particle number 'CF' limit of 1.0
- In 2023, the EU's 'Fit for 55' package targets a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 1990
Air pollution from cars and transport drives millions of deaths annually and still dominates CO2 and NOx emissions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Public Health Burden3 stats
01
6.7 million deaths per year are attributable to ambient (outdoor) air pollutionhttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
02
4.1 million deaths per year are attributable to household air pollution from household sourceshttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health
03
In 2019, transport accounted for 24% of global energy-related CO2 emissionshttps://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023/transport
Interpretation
Public Health Burden Interpretation
Public health burden from air pollution is staggering, with 6.7 million deaths per year from outdoor air pollution and another 4.1 million from household air pollution, while transport contributes 24% of global energy related CO2 emissions in 2019, underscoring how emissions tied to everyday activities drive major health outcomes.
02 · Category
Emission Inventories3 stats
01
In 2023, global CO2 emissions from road transport were 5.8 Gt CO2https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-browser?country=World&fuel=CO2%20emissions&indicator=CO2%20emissions%20by%20sector%20%28road%20transport%29&year=2023
02
In 2019, global road transport accounted for about 40% of transportation NOx emissionshttps://www.iea.org/reports/transport-emissions-and-carbon-markets
03
In the US, on-road vehicles were responsible for about 55% of transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions in 2022https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Interpretation
Emission Inventories Interpretation
Emission inventories show that road transport is a major and persistent source of climate pollution, with 2023 global CO2 emissions of 5.8 Gt alongside NOx dominance in 2019 at about 40% of transportation emissions and the US in 2022 seeing on-road vehicles contribute roughly 55% of the transportation sector’s greenhouse gases.
03 · Category
Vehicle Activity2 stats
01
In 2020, the global fleet size of passenger cars was about 1.1 billion vehicleshttps://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-browser?country=World&indicator=Passenger%20cars%20stock%20%28million%20vehicles%29&year=2020
02
In 2022, there were about 1.4 billion passenger cars worldwidehttps://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-browser?country=World&indicator=Passenger%20cars%20stock%20%28million%20vehicles%29&year=2022
Interpretation
Vehicle Activity Interpretation
Under the Vehicle Activity category, the passenger car fleet grew from about 1.1 billion vehicles in 2020 to about 1.4 billion in 2022, signaling a major rise in the underlying activity driving car pollution.
04 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
In 2023, the share of BEVs in total new car sales reached 18% globally (IEA)https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024
02
70% of total transport CO2 reductions in the IEA’s Net Zero scenario come from efficiency and electrification measures rather than behavioral change alone (measure contribution share).https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
03
80% of urban transport demand is served by cars and buses in many mid-income cities, driving local NOx and PM hotspots (typical modal split reported in urban transport syntheses).https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport/brief/urban-transport
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In the Industry Trends outlook, the rapid rise of BEVs to 18% of global new car sales in 2023 and the IEA finding that 70% of transport CO2 cuts come from efficiency and electrification show a clear industry shift toward cleaner technologies, even as car and bus dominance in mid income cities still keeps NOx and PM hotspots a persistent local challenge.
05 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
In 2023, the global market size for 'Alternative Fuel Infrastructure' was $32.7 billionhttps://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/alternative-fuel-infrastructure-market-A16666
02
1.8 million is the number of public EV charging points globally reported for end-2023 (publicly accessible charging infrastructure).https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/global-ev-outlook
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the market size category, investment momentum is clear as the global alternative fuel infrastructure market reaches $32.7 billion in 2023 while public EV charging points climb to about 1.8 million by end 2023, signaling rapid scale-up of supporting infrastructure.
06 · Category
Policy & Regulation4 stats
01
The EU's Euro 6 standards introduced a conformity factor for real-driving emissions (RDE) with a particle number 'CF' limit of 1.0https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018R0944
02
In 2023, the EU's 'Fit for 55' package targets a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 1990https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_6433
03
In 2021, the EU announced a target to reduce non-CO2 air pollutant emissions for transport and other sectors by 25% (NH3), 40% (PM2.5), and 55% (NOx) by 2030 vs 2005 under the revised NEC Directivehttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022PC0541
04
The EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) set a target that at least 14% of transport energy consumption comes from renewable sources by 2030https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018L2001
Interpretation
Policy & Regulation Interpretation
Policy and regulation in the EU are tightening the rules and targets at the same time, from a real-driving emissions particle number limit of 1.0 under Euro 6 to Fit for 55 aiming for a 55% greenhouse gas cut by 2030 and renewable fuels policies pushing transport energy to at least 14% from renewables by 2030.
More related reading
07 · Category
Emission Controls4 stats
01
A 2015 US study reported that gasoline cars on the road emitted about 4- to 7-times more NOx than regulatory-cycle values in some conditionshttps://www.nature.com/articles/srep13766
02
A 2019 peer-reviewed meta-analysis found that low-emission zones reduce NO2 concentrations by an average of 7%https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231018306169
03
A 2020 study reported that retrofitting diesel particulate filters reduces PM2.5 by approximately 60% to 90% depending on baseline performancehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619312359
04
A 2021 study estimated that speed reductions from 50 km/h to 30 km/h can reduce NOx emissions from road traffic by about 20%https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720357015
Interpretation
Emission Controls Interpretation
Across emission controls, real world benefits are clear, with low emission zones cutting NO2 by about 7% and diesel particulate filter retrofits reducing PM2.5 by roughly 60% to 90%, while speed reductions from 50 km/h to 30 km/h can lower road traffic NOx by around 20%.
08 · Category
Emissions And Health5 stats
01
30% of global final energy consumption is used for road transport (direct road transport end-use).https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2024/road-transport
02
1.5 million tons of PM2.5-equivalent pollutant mass are estimated to be emitted annually by passenger cars globally under modeled contemporary fleet and activity assumptions.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652620332509
03
1.2 million is the number of premature deaths per year attributed to air pollution in South Asia under current exposure estimates (regional burden estimate used in comparative health assessments).https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30900-4/fulltext
04
0.5°C is the estimated reduction in global mean temperature by 2100 from rapid reductions in black carbon emissions from transport (scenario-based estimate from integrated climate assessments).https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2019JD031999
05
46% of urban PM2.5 exposure comes from traffic and resuspended road dust in selected cities in a global meta-analysis (source apportionment results).https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c05754
Interpretation
Emissions And Health Interpretation
In the Emissions And Health category, passenger and urban road activity drives major pollution impacts, with 30% of global final energy going to road transport and traffic-related sources contributing 46% of urban PM2.5 exposure, helping explain why 1.2 million premature deaths per year are attributed to air pollution in South Asia and why cutting black carbon from transport could reduce global mean temperature by about 0.5°C by 2100.
09 · Category
Policy And Regulation1 stats
01
22% of measured NOx emissions from diesel vehicles in real-world testing were found to be under-regulated (i.e., exceed what would be expected from type-approval cycles) in an EU-wide RDE/PEMS dataset analysis.https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/real-world-emissions
Interpretation
Policy And Regulation Interpretation
Policy and regulation currently fall short for diesel vehicle NOx, with 22% of real world measured emissions exceeding what rules would expect, showing under enforcement or outdated standards in practice.
10 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
60% to 90% is the typical reduction range in PM2.5 achieved by diesel particulate filters across field studies (baseline-dependent effectiveness).https://www.nap.edu/read/23596/chapter/4
02
25% is the median reduction in NOx emissions when switching from older light-duty diesel to modern Euro VI equivalent diesel vehicles in fleet comparison studies (median from fleet composition comparisons).https://www.transportenvironment.org/sites/te/files/publications/2019_08_T&E_Euro%20VI%20diesel%20emissions%20report.pdf
03
2.5x is the reported factor increase in ultrafine particle number emissions at higher engine loads compared with standardized low-load conditions in laboratory characterization of passenger cars.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231017303450
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For performance metrics, diesel particulate filters typically cut PM2.5 by about 60% to 90%, but NOx drops by only a median 25% with modern Euro VI upgrades and ultrafine particle numbers can rise by roughly 2.5x at higher engine loads, showing that gains vary widely by pollutant and operating conditions.
11 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
2.6% of GDP is the estimated welfare loss in the EU attributable to health impacts from air pollution from all sectors, with transport a major contributor (external cost estimate).https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/external-cost-air-pollution-europe
02
$4.5 billion is the estimated annual cost of PM2.5 and ozone health impacts from transportation in the US (exposure-response and valuation framework estimate).https://www.nber.org/papers/w31140
03
€150 per tonne is the cost of CO2 used as a central value in recent European policy impact analyses for transport decarbonization abatement calculations (value used in model).https://www.oecd.org/environment/cc/Carbon-Pricing-Executive-Summary.pdf
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that air pollution from car and transport activity carries a large economic burden, with health-related welfare losses reaching 2.6% of EU GDP and US annual health costs from PM2.5 and ozone totaling $4.5 billion, while European transport decarbonization policies commonly value CO2 at about €150 per tonne.
report visual · Breakdown
Cars and road transport: where emissions come from
Road transport is a major contributor to transportation air pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions, while NOx and PM impacts concentrate in urban areas.
40%
In 2019, global road transport accounted for about 40% of transportation NOx emissions
60%
A 2020 study reported that retrofitting diesel particulate filters reduces PM2.5 by approximately 60% to 90% depending o
source-verifiediea.org · sciencedirect.com2020
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Car Pollution Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/car-pollution-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Car Pollution Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/car-pollution-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Car Pollution Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/car-pollution-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)