Kelowna 
A new report from the Fraser Institute ranks Canada as having some of the cleanest air among 31 high-income countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The assessment, released ahead of Earth Day, evaluated data from 2019 to 2022 on outdoor air pollution across the OECD member states.
The study examined six indicators grouped under three primary pollutant categories: fine particulate matter, ground-level ozone, and nitrogen oxides. Canada holds the eighth position for overall air quality and earned an overall score of 84.0 out of 100, placing it above the OECD average of 71.2. Iceland led the rankings with a score of 97.7, while Italy was last at 47.4.
Iceland was followed by New Zealand (89.8), Estonia (88.7), Ireland (88.6), Sweden (87.8), Norway (87.6), and Finland (85.5).
The United States ranks 13th with a score of 75.7, placing it behind Canada and several northern European countries, but ahead of nations like Germany (69.6), France (68.8), and Japan (51.7).
Lower down the list are countries like Poland (54.7), Greece (54.5), Hungary (54.2), and Slovenia (51.3).
For average exposure to fine particulate matter—a pollutant linked to vehicle emissions, industrial activity, and wildfires—Canada tied for first place with 16 other countries. The country also ranked ninth for the proportion of its population exposed to pollution levels within World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and fifth in terms of health outcomes related to fine particulate exposure.
In contrast, Canada’s rankings for ground-level ozone exposure and related health effects were closer to the middle, at 12th and 15th respectively. For nitrogen oxide exposure, Canada placed 14th, with minimal variation between most OECD countries on this measure.
The report indicates that Canada performs better than the majority of its OECD peers in managing air pollution and its associated health risks.
