Increasing pollution worldwide is proving deadlier than war, natural disasters or smoking, according to a new report published in the Lancet medical journal. Based largely on 2015 data from the Global Burden of Disease, the report estimates that at least 9 million premature deaths were caused during the year by diseases from toxic exposure.

While the highest death tolls were reported mostly in Asia, the highest rates of pollution-related mortality were seen in Africa.

Here are the countries with the highest number of pollution-related deaths and the highest pollution-related mortality rates.

10 HIGHEST POLLUTION-RELATED DEATH TOLLS (PERCENT OF ALL DEATHS)

India: 2,515,518 (24.5 percent)

China: 1,838,251 (19.5 percent)

Pakistan: 311,189 (21.9 percent)

Bangladesh: 260,836 (26.6 percent)

Nigeria: 257,093 (18.7 percent)

Indonesia: 211,896 (13.5 percent)

Russia: 172,536 (8.6 percent)

United States: 155,155 (5.7 percent)

Ethiopia: 129,450 (19.1 percent)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: 123,942 (18 percent)
___
10 HIGHEST RATES OF POLLUTION-RELATED DEATHS PER 100,000 POPULATION (PERCENT OF ALL DEATHS)

Somalia: 316.3 (26.5 percent)

Central African Republic: 303.8 (18.9 percent)

Chad: 284.9 (25.6 percent)

South Sudan: 264.2 (23.2 percent)

Niger: 245.5 (24.9 percent)

Guinea-Bissau: 238.9 (20.1 percent)

Lesotho: 226.8 (13.0 percent)

Afghanistan: 211.7 (18.7 percent)

India: 196.2 (24.5 percent)

Burundi: 178.7 (20.4 percent)
___
Source: The Lancet Pollution Commission

AP