American Lung Association report found that about 156 million people live in counties plagued by high levels of ozone and fine particulate matter

For more than a quarter-century, the American Lung Association has taken the pulse of our nation’s air quality with its annual “State of the Air” report. Now, the 2025 edition has delivered a jarring message: America’s air is getting dirtier again following years of small improvements.

Despite improvements in air quality in past decades, 156 million Americans still breathe in too much soot or ozone, says the annual State of the Air report from the American Lung Association.