Authored by Jeremiah Josey, 29 December 2025
Burning fossil fuels claims nearly 10 million lives annually through air pollution, representing one in five global deaths from PM2.5 particles that trigger heart disease, strokes, COPD, and diabetes. Yet the industry pockets USD 6.7 trillion in yearly revenue, brazenly prioritising shareholder dividends over human lives in a profit-first model that externalizes the death toll onto vulnerable populations.reddit+5
Shocking Death Toll
Harvard research pins 8.7 million deaths in 2018, with earlier peaks at 10.2 million in 2012, doubling WHO’s prior estimates by tracing pollution directly to fossil combustion. China (3.9 million) and India (2.5 million) bear the heaviest burden, but North America and Europe also suffer significant losses, proving no escape from this profit-fueled crisis.weforum+4
Hidden Health Crisis
These tiny PM2.5 particles from coal, oil, and gas pierce lungs and bloodstreams, driving 30% of ischemic heart deaths, 16% of strokes, and 16% of COPD cases worldwide. Fossil fuels account for 61-82% of preventable pollution mortality, with even low exposures deadly and linked to worsened Covid-19 outcomes—all while industry leaders count their trillions.cnn+3
| Impact Area | % of Global Deaths | Key Regions |
| Heart Disease | 30% bmjgroup | China, India |
| Strokes | 16% hsph.harvard | East Asia |
| COPD | 16% weforum | South Asia |
| Total Fossil | ~20% sciencedirect | Worldwide |
Fossil Fuel Profits: USD 6.7 Trillion Raked In Annually Amid 10 Million Deaths
The global fossil fuel sector generates USD 6.7 trillion in 2025 revenue from oil, gas, and coal—matching major economies—while deliberately externalizing nearly 10 million deaths to boost bottom lines. Oil and gas exploration alone hits USD 4 trillion, with giants like ExxonMobil exceeding USD 400 billion yearly, funneling billions into dividends instead of pollution controls that could save lives. marketreportanalytics+2
| Metric | 2025 Annual Figure | Death Link |
| Total Revenue | USD 6.7T persistencemarketresearch | Funds ops killing ~10M/year weforum |
| Oil/Gas E&P | USD 4T ibisworld | 80% energy mix, 61-82% deaths bmj |
| Coal Segment | USD 700B+ marketreportanalytics | Top PM2.5 killer in Asia sciencedirect |
| Top Firm (Exxon) | USD 400B+ ibisworld | Profits over 27K daily deaths reddit |
This profit-over-people calculus sees executives paid handsomely as societies bury the victims of their emissions. hsph.harvard+1
Urgent Policy Shift
China slashed particulates by half from 2012-2018, averting 2.5 million deaths without economic ruin—evidence that phasing out fossils saves lives faster than climate fixes alone. With alternatives booming, the industry’s USD 6.7T machine clings to combustion, valuing trillions in revenue over millions of lives. Demand accountability now. gaspgroup+3
What’s your stance? Profits before people? Comment below. #FossilFuelsKill #ProfitsOverLives #ClimateJustice #PublicHealth
References
- https://www.reddit.com/r/UnpopularFacts/comments/1k8re0t/air_pollution_from_burning_fossil_fuels_causes_an/
- https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/02/fossil-fuel-pollution-one-in-five-deaths-globally/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935121000487
- https://www.marketreportanalytics.com/reports/fossil-fuel-energy-82663
- https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/fossil-fuels-market.asp
- https://www.ibisworld.com/global/industry/global-oil-gas-exploration-production/190/
- https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/world/climate-fossil-fuels-pollution-intl-scn
- https://hsph.harvard.edu/climate-health-c-change/news/fossil-fuel-air-pollution-responsible-for-1-in-5-deaths-worldwide/
- https://bmjgroup.com/air-pollution-from-fossil-fuel-use-accounts-for-over-5-million-extra-deaths-a-year/
- https://gaspgroup.org/almost-9-million-deaths-caused-by-fossil-fuel-pollution/
- https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj-2023-077784