Air quality

Percentage of the population living in areas where air pollutant concentrations are less than or equal to the 2020 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS).

This indicator monitors general improvements to air quality using the 2020 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). More specifically, it tracks the percentage of the population living in areas where outdoor concentrations of air pollutants were less than or equal to the 2020 standards.

This indicator is calculated based on air pollutant concentration data and population statistics. The air pollutant concentration data are taken from Environment and Climate Change Canada's Canada-wide Air Quality Database. The population data were retrieved from Statistics Canada's demographic statistics. It is calculated by comparing the spatially averaged pollutant concentration for each geographical area with the respective 2020 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards. The total population of all geographical areas where the average concentrations for all pollutants are less than or equal to the respective standards are compared to the national population.

For information on the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards, please refer to the report Canada's Air from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.

For more information on this indicator and its measurement, please refer to Population exposure to outdoor air pollutants from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

For key results on air quality, please refer to Population exposure to outdoor air pollutants from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

For products related to air quality, including data tables, data visualizations, articles, and other product types see Analytical releases: Air quality or view all analytical releases.

This indicator aligns with the following frameworks:

• The Canadian Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals
  • CIF Indicator 11.3.1 – Percentage of the population living in areas where air pollutants concentrations are less than or equal to the 2020 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • SDG Goal 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
    • 11.6.2 - Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)
• Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)
  • FSDS Goal 11 – Improve access to affordable housing, clean air, transportation, parks, and green spaces, as well as cultural heritage in Canada
    • FSDS Contextual Indicator – Air quality
    • FSDS Contextual Indicator – Emissions of harmful substances to air
    • FSDS Target Indicator – Population exposure to outdoor air pollutants
• Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI)
  • CESI Air indicators
    • Air health trends
    • Air pollutant emissions
    • Air quality
    • Emissions of harmful substances to air
    • International comparison: air pollutant emissions in selected countries
    • International comparison of urban air quality
    • Population exposure to outdoor air pollutants

Canadians are exposed to air pollutants on a daily basis, and this exposure can result in adverse health effects. Exposure to some air pollutants, even at low levels, has been linked to increased heart and respiratory problems, leading to increased hospitalization, emergency room visits and premature death.