Global gridded 2D premature mortality for adults (15+ years) due to exposure to air pollution, specifically fine particles or PM2.5, from burning of fossil fuels in 2012.Premature mortality is estimated using PM2.5 concentrations simulated by the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and the health risk assessment model from the Harvard School of Public Health. Data are on a 0.5 degree latitude by 0.667 degree longitude grid everywhere except South America and eastern Europe. For those locations the data are at 2 deg latitude by 2.5 deg longitude.