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Daikin World Air Survey
Daikin World Air Survey
“Awareness and Cultures Related to
Air Conditioners and Air” among 1,200 people in 12 cities around the World
Daikin conducted the "Daikin World Air Survey" in 2024. This survey
primarily highlights how people in 12 cities worldwide perceive and use air conditioners in
their daily lives, exploring the differences and commonalities among cities.
Air conditioners, invented in the U.S. about 100 years ago, play a role as a kind
of social infrastructure that is essential for a comfortable and healthy life. In July 2024,
the global average temperature reached the highest value on record*1, making
air conditioners even more important. Based on this background, Daikin aims to raise
awareness of air conditioners and air among a global audience.
Daikin provides the ideal air for each region in 175 countries and regions.
Striving to realize “Perfecting the Air” in the world, it continues to sincerely grapple
with the diverse environments and needs of different countries and contribute to the
sustainable spread of air conditioners.
How Many Months Do People Use Air
Conditioners(Cooling) in a Year?
Among the 12 cities surveyed, Bangkok, Thailand topped the list with an
average of 10.4 months of air conditioner use, followed closely by Lagos, Nigeria with 9.5 months.
Furthermore, 70% of people in Bangkok and 53% of people in Lagos reported using air conditioners
for “12 months (1 year).” Given their relatively high average highest
air temperatures (hottest month)*2 among the surveyed cities (Bangkok: 96.8℉/36ºC,
Lagos: 93.2℉/34ºC), and the average lowest air temperature (coldest
month)*3 exceeding 68.0℉/20.0ºC, it seems that air conditioners
are necessary throughout the year in Bangkok and Lagos.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and New Delhi, India are also considered hot
cities, with average highest air temperatures (hottest month) exceeding 40ºC.
The average number of months during which air conditioners are used in
these two cities is 7.9 months and 7.0 months, respectively, which
seems to be longer than other cities. In Riyadh and New Delhi, however, the
average lowest air temperature (coldest month) is 9ºC and 8ºC, respectively,
indicating that they also have cold seasons. Therefore,
the percentages of people who use the air conditioner for “12 months”
were 18% and 16%, respectively, which were considerably lower than Bangkok
and Lagos.
*2
Temperature in the month with the highest average maximum temperature from January to December.
(Average of 1992-2021 or 2012-2021).
How Many Hours A Day Do People Use Air
Conditioners in Summer?
Based on the survey, Daikin calculated the “average number of hours of air
conditioner use when spending all day at home during the hottest month of the
year*4.”
People in Houston were found to use air conditioners the longest with 17.2 hours,
and a surprising 41% of Houston residents used them for 24 hours. The cities with the
second and third longest hours of use were Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with 14.9 hours, and New York with
12.6 hours. It seems to have become commonplace for people in the U.S. where central air conditioning
systems are widely adopted, to “leave their air conditioners on all the time” rather than
turning
them on and off frequently.
Characteristics of Residential Air Conditioners Worldwide
Air conditioners have been developed to suit different climates, lifestyles, and
housing structures in various countries. Therefore, what comes to mind when people say "air
conditioner" varies from country to country.
For example, the mainstream of the U.S. is a "central air conditioning
system,” which sends cool or warm air to all rooms through ducts distributed throughout
the house. On the other hand, many regions around the world commonly use “individual
control air conditioning,” such as ductless mini-split air conditioners. These systems
operate independently to deliver cool or warm air only to the rooms where it is needed.
*4
The average number of hours of air conditioner use was calculated based on the responses to the
question “How many hours per day do you use an air conditioner (cooling) when spending all day
at home in the hottest month of the year?”
Responses of “1 to 2 hours” were calculated as 1.5 hours, “3 to 4 hours” as
3.5 hours, “5 to 6 hours” as 5.5 hours, “7 to 10 hours” as 8.5 hours,
“11 to 15 hours” as 13 hours, “16 hours to less than 24 hours” as 19.5
hours, and “24 hours” as 24 hours.
Does the Set Temperature for Air Conditioners
Vary from City to City?
Tokyo, Japan was found to be the city with the highest average set temperature
for air conditioners*5 at home during the hottest month of the year at
79.2℉/26.2ºC, while Lagos, Nigeria had the lowest at 71.4℉/21.9ºC, with a difference of
7.8℉/4.3ºC.
The second and third lowest average set temperatures after Lagos were 72.0℉/22.2ºC
in Sao Paulo, Brazil and 72.3℉/22.4ºC in New York.
It is said that people’s perception of temperature depends on their country of origin and
personal constitution, and in Lagos, Sao Paulo, and New York, many people seem to find lower
temperatures more comfortable.
On the other hand, the average set temperatures in the Asian cities of Tokyo, Bangkok,
Thailand, and Shanghai, China turned out to be higher than in other cities (Tokyo: 79.2℉/26.2ºC,
Bangkok: 77.2℉/25.1ºC, Shanghai: 77.0℉/25.0ºC).
Many people in Asian countries seem to be sensitive to cold or pay attention not to let the
temperature get too low to save energy.
It was also revealed that 92% of people in Tokyo were concerned about their electricity
bills when using air conditioners, the highest among the 12 cities. Furthermore, Tokyo had the highest
percentage of people who “set the temperature higher (for cooling) or lower (for heating)”
as a “measure to save electricity when using air conditioners at home” at 71%. The average
set temperature in Tokyo may be related to the high level of consciousness about electricity bills.
*5
The average set temperatures were calculated based on the responses to the question “Which
is the most frequently used temperature setting for air conditioners at home during the hottest
month of the year?” Fahrenheit values are converted from the average in Celsius. Responses of
“18°C or lower” were calculated as 18°C, while “30°C or higher”
were calculated as 30°C. Responses stating “automatic” settings were excluded from
the calculations.
Which City Has the Largest Difference Between
the 'Set Temperature' and 'Outside Air Temperature' in Summer?
The difference between the 'set temperature for air conditioners' and the 'outside air
temperature' significantly influences air conditioner power consumption.
The difference between the average highest air temperature*1 and
the average set temperature*5 of the hottest month was largest in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia at 37.1℉/20.6ºC (average highest air temperature 111.2℉/44.0ºC, average
set temperature 74.1℉/23.4ºC), followed by New Delhi, India at
30.2℉/16.8ºC (average highest air temperature 104.0℉/40.0ºC, average set temperature
73.8℉/23.2ºC) and
Lagos, Nigeria at 21.8℉/12.1ºC (average highest air temperature 93.2℉/34.0ºC, average
set temperature 71.4℉/21.9ºC).
It was 10.4℉/5.8ºC (average highest air temperature 89.6℉/32.0ºC, average
set temperature 79.2℉/26.2ºC) in Tokyo, and 4.1℉/2.3ºC (average highest air temperature
78.8℉/26ºC, average set temperature 74.7℉/23.7ºC) in Paris, France, which had the smallest
difference. As the outside air temperatures are high in Riyadh and New Delhi,
the load on the air conditioner seems to be relatively high.
Considering the “number of hours of air conditioner use per day” and
the “difference between highest air temperature and set temperature” during the
hottest period of the year, Riyadh stands out in both indices. It seems that air
conditioners tend to run longer in environments where they are under significant strain
in Riyadh.
Who is the Majority, Those Who Like Being
Exposed to the Airflow of Air Conditioners or Those Who Dislike It?
Bangkok, Thailand had the highest percentage of people who like being directly
exposed to and feeling the airflow of air conditioners (cooling) among the 12 cities at 98%.
Also, Shanghai, China; Houston; New Delhi, India; Lagos, Nigeria; New York; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and
Istanbul, Turkey had over 80%.
While people in most cities prefer to cool themselves under the
airflow of air conditioners, the results of Tokyo, Japan and Madrid, Spain were
divided between those who liked it and those who did not. While people can feel
the coolness of being in the airflow on a hot day, preferences seem to be
divided because the airflow can feel too cold or cause skin dryness if it is too
strong.
What Factor is the Most Important When
Purchasing An Air Conditioner?
In 11 out of 12 cities, “energy efficiency” was selected as the most
important factor when purchasing air conditioners*6, especially marked in
Bangkok, Thailand and Istanbul, Turkey. Only in Shanghai, China, the highest importance was given to
“effective cooling/heating performance” and this was followed by “energy
efficiency.”
In addition, New York, Houston, Paris, France; and Madrid, Spain had the percentage of
people who chose “affordable price” nearly as high as that of “energy
efficiency” (with a difference of less than 10%), indicating that people place importance on
both the electricity costs and the initial cost of air conditioners. Meanwhile, people in Sao Paulo,
Brazil; Bangkok; New Delhi, India; and Shanghai, China seem to place lower importance on the price of
purchase than other cities.
*6
Respondents were asked to list the top three most important factors when purchasing an air
conditioner, and the results were ranked by weighted average while giving weight values to the most
important (3 points), the second most important (2 points), and the third most important (1 point).
As the reason why people placed the highest priority on “energy
efficiency” when purchasing an air conditioner, “to reduce electricity bill”
ranked higher than “to reduce environmental impact (e.g., global warming)” across all
cities.
Even so, New York stood out with 45.2% of people who selected “to reduce
environmental impact,” reflecting the reputation of New York as one of the most
environmentally conscious cities in the U.S.
In addition to Paris and Madrid in Europe, known as an environmentally advanced region, Istanbul, New
Delhi, and Sao Paulo also had relatively high results among 12 cities, with more than 30% choosing
“to reduce environmental impact.”
However, many people in all cities seem to be more concerned about their electricity bills, which are
closely related to their daily lives, at present.
Air Conditioners and Carbon Neutrality
While air conditioners play a vital role in protecting people’s lives, they are
also said to be responsible for approximately 10% of the total electricity consumption in the world.
If the electricity used by air conditioners comes from fossil fuels, a large amount of greenhouse
gases is emitted when they are used. Because air conditioners are an essential part of
people’s lives, it is necessary to promote carbon neutrality so that the environmental impact
can be reduced even if the number of air conditioners continues to increase.
The total amount of CO2 emitted by one air conditioner throughout its lifetime is
calculated to be 3,692 kg*7.
In addition, 89% of the total emissions are generated “when air conditioners are used.”
As a manufacturer, Daikin is committed to reducing emissions during the manufacture and
transportation of air conditioners, and to improving energy-saving technologies to mitigate the
impact on global warming, including when using air conditioners.
How Is the Need for Air Conditioners Changing Compared to 10
Years Ago?
When asked whether people feel that their cities have become hotter or cooler compared to
10 years ago, the percentage of people answering “It has become much hotter” was highest
in 10 out of 12 cities. Among these cities, Bangkok, Thailand had the highest percentage with 87%,
followed by New Delhi, India with 81% and Sao Paulo, Brazil with 78%.
In addition, when asked whether people think that air conditioners have
become more necessary than 10 years ago?” the percentage of people answering “I
strongly think so” was highest in 11 out of 12 cities. In the order of
higher percentage, these cities were, Sao Paulo at 81%, Bangkok at 79%, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at 73%,
New Delhi at 72%, Shanghai, China at 71%, and Lagos, Nigeria at 70%, and the necessity for air
conditioners seems to be increasing more rapidly in these cities.
Roles Played by Air Conditioners and Their Penetration Rate
While air conditioners are widespread in many countries, they have also contributed
greatly to the economic development of hot countries. Take Singapore, one of the most developed
countries in Southeast Asia. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and former prime
minister once said, “the most influential invention of the last 100 years is the air
conditioner. Singapore’s development would not be possible without air conditioning.” In
an environment where it was too hot to concentrate on work, he was the first to install air
conditioners in the buildings where civil servants worked, which made people more productive and
created an efficient government.
As you can see, air conditioners have become an essential part of people’s lives.
On the other hand, it is also true that in some countries and regions air conditioners are not yet
widely used due to the circumstances surrounding the infrastructure and income levels, even when air
temperatures are high. According to the IEA, the penetration rate is said to be 5% in India, 6% in
South Africa and 16% in Brazil. However, the number of air conditioners in operation worldwide is
expected to approximately triple by 2050 due to the development in emerging countries, and further
popularization is expected in the future.
How Important Is Air Quality in Daily Life?
In a comparison of the percentage of people who consider air quality “very
important” in their daily lives, Lagos, Nigeria topped the list at 95%. In the five cities -
Sao Paulo, Brazil; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Bangkok, Thailand; Istanbul, Turkey; New Delhi, India and
Houston - over 70% of people rated air quality as “very important.” Despite air being
invisible, many residents in these cities may be mindful of air quality in their everyday lives.
On the other hand, Tokyo, Japan and Paris, France had fewer people considering air quality
“very important,” at 39% and 31% respectively.
What Types of Air-related Concerns Are There in the World?
When asked about “air-related concerns people have in their daily
lives*6,” many people in most cities mentioned concerns about temperature and
humidity, which are easy to feel. However, people also seem to suffer from “air pollution”
such as viruses, odors and exhaust gas. In Lagos, the total percentage of concerns about air
pollution was highest (61%) among the 12 cities, and especially “air pollution from exhaust
gas, wildfires, etc.” ranked high. Nigeria is said to have the highest number of air
pollution-related child pneumonia deaths in the world*7. Air is important not only for
comfortable living but also for protecting people’s lives.
*6
Respondents were asked to list the top three “concerns related to air in their daily
lives,” and the results were ranked by weighted average while giving weight values to the
highest (3 points), the second highest (2 points), and the third highest (1 point).
The way air conditioners are used varies greatly depending on the climate, housing style, etc.
of the area, including the average air temperature and the highest and lowest air temperatures throughout
the year. In this survey, we selected the cities to be surveyed by taking into consideration the climate and
geographical balance.
Outline of the Survey
Main body conducting the survey
Daikin Industries, Ltd.
Method of survey
Internet-based questionnaire
Survey subjects
100 people in their 20s to 60s in each city who have air conditioners at home
Subject cities and survey period
Houston (DMA Houston), U.S. / May 24 to June 6, 2024
New York (DMA New York), U.S. / May 24 to June 6
Bangkok (Greater Bangkok), Thailand / May 24 to May 29
Istanbul (Istanbul Province), Turkey / May 30 to May 31
Lagos, Nigeria / May 24 to May 29
Madrid (Provinces of Madrid), Spain / May 24 to May 29
New Delhi (Delhi Capital Territory), India / May 24 to May 300
Paris (Ile-de-France), France / May 28 to May 29
Riyadh (Riyadh Province), Saudi Arabia / May 31 to June 5
Sao Paulo (State of Sao Paulo), Brazil / May 24 to May 29
Shanghai, China / May 24 to June 6
Tokyo, Japan / May 10 to May 21