Yuan et al. (59) demonstrated a significant negative correlation between the Air Quality Index (AQI) and individuals’ life satisfaction, and Song et al. (58) found a positive correlation between urban smog levels and subjective happiness.
Life satisfaction is strongly and consistently harmed by poor air quality, with most studies showing that pollutants like CO₂, NO₂, PM10, and SO₂ lower perceived quality of life, and research linking higher AQI and urban smog to reduced well-being, though some results may be influenced by factors such as income differences across cities.