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Indicator name:
Cooking fuels: population with primary reliance on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking (in millions)
Short name:
PHE_HHAIR_POP_POLLUTING_FUELS
Data type:
Count
Indicator Id:
5652
Topic:
Risk factors
ISO Health Indicators Framework
Environmental factors
Rationale:
The use of solid fuels and kerosene in households is associated with increased mortality from acute lower respiratory, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, and lung cancer.  
Definition:
The population relying on polluting fuels and technologies as the primary source of domestic energy for cooking
Disaggregation:
Location (urban/rural)
Method of measurement
The indicator is calculated as the number of people using polluting fuels and technologies. Based on the recommendations included in the WHO Guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion, the fuels and technologies that are considered polluting include biomass, coal, kerosene, gasoline, diesel, rubber and trash.
M&E Framework:
Outcome
Method of estimation:
Modelled estimates. A non-parametrical statistical model based on household survey data and time as inputs is applied to derive estimates. For further information on the model, see Stoner O et al, 2020: Global Household Energy Model: A Multivariate Hierarchical Approach to Estimating Trends in the Use of Polluting and Clean Fuels for Cooking (see link below). Input data for the model is found in the WHO Household Energy Database. This database compiles data from nationally-representative surveys and censuses that provide estimates of primary cooking fuels and technologies. In cases where estimates of the population not cooking at home, with missing data or cooking with "other" fuels are provided, these populations are removed from the denominator for estimation purposes. The population data source is the 2018 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects (see link below).
Method of estimation of global and regional aggregates:
Countries are population-weighted to obtain regional aggregates; for countries with no data, nothing is reported.
Preferred data sources:
National survey
Population census
Household surveys
Expected frequency of data dissemination:
Annual
Expected frequency of data collection:
Annual
Comments:
There may be discrepancies between internationally reported and nationally reported figures. The reasons are the following: - Modelled estimates versus survey data point. - Use of different definitions of polluting fuels and technologies (coal, rubber, charcoal, wood, wood waste, wood briquettes, pelleted wood, dung, cropwaste, inclusion or not of kerosene).
Contact person email:
sdg7@who.int
Name:
sdg7@who.int
IMRID:
5652
Links:
World Urbanization Prospects
Global Household Energy Model: A Multivariate Hierarchical Approach to Estimating Trends in the Use of Polluting and Clean Fuels for Cooking. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Applied Statistics, Series C. 2020
Burning opportunity: clean household energy for health, sustainable development, and wellbeing of women and children. (WHO, 2016)
Household air pollution data
Indicator Metadata Registry List
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