The varying roles of the dimensions of affluence in air pollution: a regional STIRPAT analysis for Germany

STIRPAT models investigate the impacts of population, affluence, and technology on the environment, with most STIRPAT studies revealing positive impacts of both population and affluence. Affluence is commonly defined as GDP per capita, but investigations of its impact largely neglect the possibility that increasing prosperity affects the environment in varying—even opposing—ways. This study addresses this gap by decomposing affluence into three dimensions—income per taxpayer, private car ownership, and the share of single-family houses—and analyzing their roles in the production of local NO(x) emissions. Results for 367 German districts and autonomous cities between 1990 and 2020 indicate that, while private car ownership and single-family houses per capita can be considered drivers of local pollutants, such is not the case for income per taxpayer, which we find has a negative impact on NO(x) emissions. The empirical findings suggest that policies should strengthen integrated mobility concepts and establish incentives that favor investment in modern heating or self-sufficiency systems.