If you’re in need of a breath of fresh air, you’ve come to the right place. A recent global study has just revealed the cities with the lowest air pollution levels on Earth, and lucky for us, three of the top ten are right here in Australia. Take a deep breath and read on to discover exactly where the atmosphere is cleaner.
You know that saying, “Come down for air” – aka Tasmania’s catchy tourism slogan? Well, you might want to take it seriously, as Hobart came out on top as the city with the lowest air pollution levels in Australia and the third lowest in the world. You can also breathe a sigh of relief if you live in Darwin or Canberra, with Australia’s next two smallest capitals also ranking in the top ten for air quality out of almost 400 cities worldwide.
The Air Quality Index created by Auto Trader, an online vehicle trading site, looked at air quality data for 393 cities over the last three years, assigning each city a score based on its concentration of harmful pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. As past research suggests, Australia and other Oceanic countries boast the cleanest air, claiming ten of the top 20 spots. While the methodology has its flaws – such as not fully factoring in natural events like bushfires and dust storms, which are common in Oz – the trends among the top-ranking cities are clear.
According to the report, Hobart and Darwin’s high positions are thanks to their proximity to the ocean, small population size and low traffic levels. The Tasmanian capital was only just pipped by the tiny island of Funafuti in Tuvalu, while Manaus, located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, followed in second place.
Australia's most populous city, Sydney, was the only capital seriously lagging in air pollution levels, ranking 150th overall. This places Sydney, along with Perth (95th) and Brisbane (96th), behind cities like London (90th), Houston (72nd) and Amsterdam (56th).
Here’s how all Australian cities ranked on the Air Quality Index:
3. Hobart
4. Darwin
10. Canberra
24. Adelaide
29. Gold Coast
52. Melbourne
95. Perth
96. Brisbane
150. Sydney