Australia versus the world: How we rank on air quality — and the city lagging behind

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Hobart, Darwin and Canberra topped the list, while Sydney, one of Australia's most populous cities, has come in the 150th spot, posing questions about the impacts of air pollution.

But experts have cautioned against taking the data at face value, saying the logic is "fundamentally flawed".

However, Professor Gavin Pereira, an environmental epidemiologist at Curtin University in Perth, said the ranking of cities was "fundamentally flawed, even if the calculations are correct".

"Firstly, air pollution events like bushfires and dust storms are common in Australia even if the air quality appears okay at other times," he said.

"Secondly, it ignores everyone living outside the selected cities, including those in regional rural and remote areas most prone to bushfire smoke."