Air pollution and subjective wellbeing: exploring the link between PM10 and a composite measure of wellbeing

Air pollution is detrimental to a person’s overall quality of life, not only harming physical health, but also potentially undermining wellbeing across various aspects of daily living. The aim of this study is to investigate whether air quality is associated with individual subjective wellbeing, based on multiple measurements of wellbeing encompassing life evaluation and sense of purpose and meaning, using data at the regional and country level in Europe. This study is based on the sixth round of the European Social Survey conducted in 2012, linked to data on air pollution—measured by PM10 levels—across 3825 stations gathered from air quality reports by the European Environment Agency. Using multilevel regression models and controlling for an array of confounders at the individual level, we find no association between the regional-level intensity of air pollution and individuals’ subjective wellbeing. Rather, this association depends on the area of residence: individuals living in the countryside experience a noticeable decrease in subjective wellbeing when PM10 concentration increases, while for individuals living in urban areas subjective wellbeing tends to increase. No association between PM10 and subjective wellbeing is observed in small cities. Future studies in this emerging literature on pollution and individuals’ wellbeing should consider the complex linkages between place of residence, amenities, and pollution.