The persistence of air purifier non- adoption in Bangladeshi households
This study uses two large-scale experiments in Dhaka to show that adoption of residential air purifiers among middle-income households remains extremely low, even when cost and information barriers are addressed. Households underestimate indoor air pollution, show low willingness to pay, and use purifiers for less than two hours a day even when given for free.
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Mattsson-Garg-Jagnani-Chowdhury-Policy-Brief-September-2025.pdf
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Through two large-scale field experiments with over 3,400 middle-income households in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we find that residential air purifiers face fundamental adoption barriers that persist even when traditional constraints are removed:
- Less than 1% of middle-income households own air purifiers despite ambient PM2.5 levels averaging 75 µg/m³ (15 times the WHO's annual guidelines).
- Households systematically underestimate indoor pollution - while 70% recognise outdoor air as severely polluted, the same percentage believe indoor air is not a serious problem.
- Willingness to pay is only 8-16% of the retail price, even after correcting misperceptions.
- Usage remains minimal even with free purifiers - households use them less than two hours daily on average.