Breathing in Québec is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 8.6 million people across 99 districts in Québec. The average PM2.5 level is 8.4 µg/m³—1.7× higher than the WHO guideline.

AboutMake Air Quality Great AgainAQLI Data

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Québec

Québec faces significant air pollution challenges. 92% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 8.6 million across 99 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.4µg/m³. That's 1.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 139 cigarettes in a year.

Trends

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Health Impact

Life Expectancy Impact

If Québec met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.33 years longer.

That's 2.8M years of life stolen from 8.6 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Most Polluted

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Québec. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Vallée-de-l'Or
    0.7 years lost
  • 2.Nord-du-Québec
    0.7 years lost
  • 3.Témiscamingue
    0.6 years lost
  • 4.Abitibi
    0.6 years lost
  • 5.Maria-Chapdelaine
    0.5 years lost
  • 6.Rouyn-Noranda
    0.5 years lost
  • 7.Le Domaine-du-Roy
    0.5 years lost
  • 8.Abitibi-Ouest
    0.5 years lost
  • 9.Laval
    0.4 years lost
  • 10.Communauté-Urbaine-de-Montréal
    0.4 years lost
Exposure

Population Exposure by Pollution Level

Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.

< 5 µg/m³
1.5%
130K
5-10 µg/m³
96.5%
8.3M
10-15 µg/m³
1.9%
167K
15-25 µg/m³
0%
0
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0
Districts

All 99 Districts in Québec

Complete air quality data for every district in Québec, sorted by population.

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Communauté-Urbaine-de-Montréal2.0M
9.3
0.4 years
Communauté-Urbaine-de-Québec622K
8.6
0.3 years
Laval443K
9.4
0.4 years
Champlain340K
8.8
0.4 years
Communauté-Urbaine-de-l'Outaouai302K
8.7
0.4 years
Le Fjord-du-Saguenay184K
8.5
0.3 years
Roussillon181K
8.6
0.4 years
La Région-Sherbrookoise180K
7.1
0.2 years
Thérèse-De Blainville175K
8.9
0.4 years
Les Moulins172K
8.7
0.4 years
La Vallée-du-Richelieu165K
8.3
0.3 years
Francheville165K
8.0
0.3 years
Vaudreuil-Soulanges144K
8.3
0.3 years
La Rivière-du-Nord139K
8.1
0.3 years
Le Haut-Richelieu129K
7.8
0.3 years
L'Assomption122K
8.2
0.3 years
Drummond113K
7.1
0.2 years
La Haute-Yamaska107K
7.4
0.2 years
Deux-Montagnes102K
9.2
0.4 years
Les Chutes-de-la-Chaudière101K
8.2
0.3 years
Les Maskoutains95K
8.0
0.3 years
Lajemmerais82K
8.5
0.3 years
Arthabaska79K
7.8
0.3 years
Joliette73K
7.8
0.3 years
Le Centre-de-la-Mauricie70K
7.6
0.3 years
Desjardins67K
8.1
0.3 years
Beauharnois-Salaberry65K
8.3
0.3 years
Rimouski-Neigette58K
5.3
0.0 years
Lac-Saint-Jean-Est58K
9.1
0.4 years
Portneuf58K
7.7
0.3 years
Montcalm58K
7.9
0.3 years
Beauce-Sartigan57K
6.4
0.1 years
Matawinie55K
8.1
0.3 years
Memphrémagog55K
7.0
0.2 years
Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais54K
8.1
0.3 years
Le Bas-Richelieu54K
8.1
0.3 years
Brome-Missisquoi54K
7.0
0.2 years
Les Laurentides50K
8.1
0.3 years
Mirabel48K
8.4
0.3 years
Nord-du-Québec48K
12.3
0.7 years
Vallée-de-l'Or47K
12.6
0.7 years
La Jacques-Cartier47K
8.0
0.3 years
L'Amiante46K
6.7
0.2 years
Rouyn-Noranda46K
9.9
0.5 years
Les Pays-d'en-Haut46K
7.7
0.3 years
Rouville40K
8.0
0.3 years
Sept-Rivières--Caniapiscau40K
6.1
0.1 years
Antoine-Labelle39K
8.2
0.3 years
Rivière-du-Loup37K
6.3
0.1 years
Argenteuil36K
7.6
0.3 years
Le Domaine-du-Roy34K
9.8
0.5 years
Bellechasse34K
6.8
0.2 years
D'Autray34K
8.0
0.3 years
Le Val-Saint-François33K
6.9
0.2 years
La Nouvelle-Beauce33K
7.0
0.2 years
Lotbinière32K
7.7
0.3 years
La Côte-de-Beaupré32K
7.7
0.3 years
Manicouagan31K
5.8
0.1 years
Les Jardins-de-Napierville31K
7.7
0.3 years
Abitibi27K
11.1
0.6 years
Maria-Chapdelaine27K
10.3
0.5 years
L'Érable26K
7.5
0.2 years
Papineau25K
7.9
0.3 years
Maskinongé25K
8.1
0.3 years
Le Haut-Saint-François25K
6.4
0.1 years
Montmagny24K
6.6
0.2 years
Le Haut-Saint-Laurent24K
7.4
0.2 years
Le Granit24K
6.0
0.1 years
Kamouraska23K
6.7
0.2 years
Abitibi-Ouest23K
9.6
0.5 years
Nicolet-Yamaska22K
7.5
0.2 years
La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau22K
8.5
0.3 years
Témiscouata21K
5.7
0.1 years
Matane21K
4.7
0.0 years
Robert-Cliche21K
6.5
0.2 years
La Matapédia20K
4.8
0.0 years
La Mitis19K
5.1
0.0 years
L'Islet19K
6.7
0.2 years
Les Etchemins18K
6.2
0.1 years
Coaticook18K
7.0
0.2 years
Bonaventure18K
4.7
0.0 years
Témiscamingue17K
11.1
0.6 years
Acton17K
7.3
0.2 years
La Côte-de-Gaspé17K
4.4
0.0 years
Le Haut-Saint-Maurice17K
9.1
0.4 years
Charlevoix-Est16K
6.9
0.2 years
Le Rocher-Percé16K
4.2
0.0 years
Asbestos16K
7.0
0.2 years
Pontiac16K
7.3
0.2 years
Avignon15K
4.9
0.0 years
Charlevoix14K
7.2
0.2 years
Mékinac14K
7.8
0.3 years
Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine13K
3.5
0.0 years
Bécancour12K
7.8
0.3 years
La Haute-Côte-Nord12K
6.5
0.1 years
La Haute-Gaspésie11K
4.8
0.0 years
Minganie--Basse-Côte-Nord10K
5.1
0.0 years
Les Basques9K
5.9
0.1 years
L'Île-d'Orléans8K
7.8
0.3 years

Showing 99 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.