How many people in Indonesia were exposed to unhealthy air during the September 2026 wildfires?

About 57.8 million people were inhaling air classified as unhealthy to hazardous in September, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air report.

How did the study estimate deaths caused by wildfire smoke in Indonesia?

The study counted deaths from short-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution, defined as deaths occurring within days of exposure. It estimated 3,560 such deaths in September, twice the August estimate.

Where in Indonesia were most of the estimated wildfire-pollution deaths recorded?

Most occurred in the Indonesian part of Borneo, as well as on Java and Sumatra and in the country’s east.

Fire pollution killed 3,560 people in Indonesia in September: report

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Summary

Wildfire smoke in Indonesia caused an estimated 3,560 deaths in September 2026, according to a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. About 57.8 million people faced unhealthy to hazardous air that month. Most estimated deaths occurred in Indonesian Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the country’s east.

Key Facts

The September estimate for deaths from short-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution was twice the estimate for August.
The study estimated that non-fire pollution from urban and industrial emissions caused another 1,750 deaths in September.
The combined estimate for deaths from fire and non-fire pollution was 5,310 in a country of around 278 million people.

By AFP

Published Oct 30, 2026 1:52 pm KST

Firefighters spray water in an attempt to put out a wildfire burning through a peatland field in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Indonesia, Oct. 25. AP-Yonhap

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Air pollution from smoke emitted by months of wildfires across Indonesia caused an estimated 3,560 deaths in the vast Southeast Asian archipelago in September alone, according to a scientific study.

The same month, about 57.8 million people were inhaling unhealthy to hazardous air, said the report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Helsinki-based think tank.

"Worsening air quality due to forest and land fires in Indonesia pushed the estimated death toll to 3,560 cases in September 2026, a twofold increase from the August estimate," said a CREA statement.

The study estimated the number of deaths brought about by short-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution, which are deaths occurring within days of exposure.

Most occurred on Indonesia's part of Borneo island as well as on Java and Sumatra islands and the country's east.

The researchers also looked at non-fire pollution from urban and industrial emissions, and found it had caused a further 1,750 deaths in September for a total of 5,310 in the country of around 278 million people.

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