Toronto ranks 22nd most polluted city in the world as wildfire smoke blankets region
Toronto's air quality index hit 81 on Monday, matching Cairo and Doha. Montreal was 34th with an AQI of 68. Vancouver ranked fourth cleanest globally with an AQI of 15.
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Toronto ranked 22nd among the world's most polluted cities on Monday with an air quality index of 81, placing it alongside Cairo, Egypt, and Doha, Qatar, according to real-time data from IQAir, which monitors over 80,000 sensors worldwide.
The moderate pollution level reflects ongoing wildfire smoke drifting south from Quebec into southern Ontario. Montreal followed close behind in 34th place globally with an AQI of 68, also rated moderate.
In contrast, Vancouver sat in fourth place among the world's cleanest cities with an AQI of 15, considered good air quality. Melbourne, Auckland, and Sydney rounded out the top three cleanest destinations.
The top three most polluted cities globally were Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Jakarta (Indonesia), and Dhaka (Bangladesh), all with AQI readings between 160 and 183, classified as unhealthy.
The facts
What was Toronto's air quality index on Monday, July 13, 2026?
Toronto's air quality index was 81 on Monday, July 13, 2026, ranking it 22nd most polluted city in the world.
Why was Toronto's air quality poor?
Wildfire smoke drifting south from Quebec into southern Ontario caused the moderate pollution level in Toronto.
How did Vancouver's air quality compare?
Vancouver ranked fourth among the world's cleanest cities with an air quality index of 15, considered good air quality.
