Australia is a large country in Oceania with its densest populations residing in coastal cities. Australia’s landscape is mostly dry but very diverse, with deserts, tropical rainforests, and mountain ranges. Following colonization by the British and the Dutch, Australia has become a highly economically developed country, making its income largely from mining, manufacturing, telecommunications, and banking.
Because Australia is such a highly developed country, it is equipped with the technology, resources, and organizational practices that help decrease pollution. This means that Australia is one of the least polluting countries in the world. We’ll look at these scales to see exactly where Australia ranks in terms of pollution:
Summary of Pollution in Australia
Australia received high scores across the board from Yale University’s Environmental Performance Index (EPI). With all the categories evaluated, Australia sits at 13 out of 180 countries in environmental pollution and received a rating of 74.9 (where 100 is the best possible score).
Download Full Report: Australia EPI Country Profile
According to the report, Australia ranks high above the world average in almost every category. When compared to its region, Australia tends to rank around the same. Australia finds its highest ranking in air quality but falls behind in metrics like ecosystem services where it contributes to land pollution.
Air Pollution in Australia
Australia’s overall air quality ranks at 2 of 180 countries. When evaluated just for fine particulate matter exposure (PM2.5), Australia ranks first with a rating of 100. This means that Australia has the lowest daily rate of exposure to fine particulate matter of any country in the world. The air in Australia is consistently safe to breathe.
There are a few days per year when Australia’s air quality can be hazardous due to factors like:
- Mining
- Wildfires
However, overall Australia has very little air pollution.
Learn more about air quality standards and measurement.
Water Pollution in Australia
Australia ranks lower in water pollution than air pollution. Both freshwater rivers within the country, as well as marine waters, are affected by unsafe dumping practices. The main sources of water pollution in Australia are:
- Runoff from agriculture
- Dumping of toxic mining waste
- Oil runoff from industry
- Household waste
However, wastewater is generally treated sufficiently in Australia, so its water pollution still ranks above most countries.
Learn more about water pollution and how it is measured.
Australia’s Water Quality
Australia ranks high in both drinking water and wastewater management. Drinking water is safe in Australia, and bodies of water are not very polluted.
Drinking Water
- Rank: 27/180
- EPI Score: 81/100
Wastewater Management
- Rank: 11/180
- EPI Score: 92.7/100
Wastewater management is the most important factor to prevent agricultural and industrial waste from harming rivers, lakes, and oceans. Australia ranks 11th by this metric, meaning that they do a great job treating wastewater and ensuring that it isn’t able to harm aquatic ecosystems.
Land Pollution
Of the three areas we’re covering in this article, Australia ranks its worst in land pollution. Australia contributes to land pollution in two main ways:
- Deforestation for agricultural purposes
- Improper solid waste management
Of these two issues, clearing land for agriculture is by far the larger contributor to land pollution. Australia has a low ecosystem services ranking, falling at 120 out of 180 because of a huge loss of forest, grassland, and wetland habitat in recent years. Most deforestation and habitat destruction is conducted to make way for farms, which heavily pollute the land and either harm or destroy ecosystems.
Solid Waste Management
- Ranking: 40/180
- EPI Score: 77.3
Ecosystem Services
- Ranking: 120/180
- EPI Score: 27.9
Australia ranks high in solid waste management, meaning most land pollution is not due to solid waste, but rather, to a loss of habitat for agricultural purposes.
Key Takeaways
Here’s the big picture of pollution in Australia:
- Overall EPI Ranking: 13/180
- Air Pollution: Very little air pollution.
- Air Pollution Rank: 2/180
- Water Pollution: Most Australian water bodies are not polluted and drinking water is safe.
- Drinking Water Rank: 27/180
- Wastewater Management Rank: 11/180
- Land Pollution: Good solid waste management but lots of recent habitat loss.
- Solid waste management rank: 40/180
- Ecosystem Services rank: 120/180