Air quality comparison · Uzbekistan, 691 km apart
Nukus vs Samarkand Air quality index (AQI) today
Nukus and Samarkand are level right now: both read AQI 17 (Good).
Over the past 6 days, on modeled daily averages, Nukus averaged AQI 30 against 50, and it was the cleaner of the two on 6 of those days. Samarkand has lost more forest since 2001. Samarkand has more tree cover.
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Nukus17Samarkand17
Head to head
Nukus vs Samarkand at a glance
Samarkand is ahead on 3 of 6 measures, and Nukus on 2. The better figure in each row is marked.
| Nukus | Samarkand | |
|---|---|---|
| Air quality nowUS AQI. Lower is better. | 17 | 17 |
| PM2.5Fine particles, µg/m³. | 2.9 | 2.6 (better) |
| Past week's averageUS AQI, 6 days. | 30 (better) | 50 |
| Forest lost since 2001Within 10 km of the center. | under 1 ha (better) | 7 ha |
| Tree coverWithin 2 km of the center. | 7.9% | 12.4% (better) |
| Trees still neededTo reach a healthy canopy. | 68.6K | 55.3K (better) |
Air quality today
What is the air like in Nukus and Samarkand right now?
Nukus and Samarkand are level right now: both read AQI 17 (Good). PM2.5 is setting the index in both.
Both readings are model estimates, with no ground station close enough to either.
NukusSamarkand
Concentrations at the same moment as the index above, for the pollutants both places report. Lower is better. The dark marks on the PM2.5 and PM10 rows show the WHO's 24-hour guidelines (15 and 45 µg/m³).
Nukus: Model estimate · no ground station nearby. Data: Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index.
Samarkand: Model estimate · no ground station nearby. Data: Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index.
The past week
Which had cleaner air over the past 6 days?
Over the past 6 days, on modeled daily averages, Nukus averaged AQI 30 against 50, and it was the cleaner of the two on 6 of those days. A single reading can catch a city on a bad afternoon; the week says whether it was the weather or the place.
- Cleaner days
- Nukus6Samarkand0
- Average AQI
- Nukus30Samarkand50
- Worst day, AQI
- Nukus44Samarkand65
The daily numbers (6 days)
| Day | Nukus | Samarkand |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5 | 28 | 65 |
| Nov 6 | 38 | 51 |
| Nov 7 | 19 | 56 |
| Nov 8 | 44 | 49 |
| Nov 9 | 27 | 52 |
| Nov 10 | 25 | 28 |
Daily averages from the CAMS atmospheric model for both places, so the week compares like with like. They can differ from today's reading at the top of the page wherever that comes from a ground station.
What it means today
Is it safe to go outside in Nukus and Samarkand today?
Air quality is satisfactory for everyone. Both are in the same EPA band today (Good), so the advice is the same.
Exercise outdoors
A good day to be active outside.
Windows
Open them to air the house.
Masks
Not needed.
Air purifier
Not needed.
Against everywhere else
How do Nukus and Samarkand compare with the rest of the world?
Right now Nukus's air is cleaner than 92% of the 5,420 places Airleaf tracks, and Samarkand's is cleaner than 92%. Within Uzbekistan, that is 79% and 79% of its 20 measured places.
Cleaner air than…
- Nukus
- Beats 92%
- Samarkand
- Beats 92%
More tree cover than…
- Nukus
- Beats 16%
- Samarkand
- Beats 27%
Includes model estimates as well as station readings, so it can differ from our most polluted and cleanest air rankings, which use station readings only.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
Which has lost more forest, Nukus or Samarkand?
Samarkand has lost more: about 7 ha of forest within 10 km of its center from 2001 to 2025, against under 1 ha around Nukus. 3 ha of that was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Measured within 10 km of each center, from the yearly satellite maps of forest loss: a wider circle than the one for tree cover, because forest is usually lost at a city's edges.
Worst year: 2002, with under 1 ha lost.
Worst year: 2001, with 3 ha lost.
| Nukus | Samarkand | |
|---|---|---|
| Forest lost since 2001Cleared, burned or logged. | under 1 ha (better) | 7 ha |
| Cleared for goodTurned into farms, mines or towns. | under 1 ha (better) | 3 ha |
| Recent trend2021–2025 against the five years before. | Too little to call | Too little to call |
| Main known cause | Not classified | Towns and roads (29%) |
Satellite timelapses
Watch both change, year by year
A clear satellite photo a year of the land around each city. Press play, turn on the forest cleared since the first year, or drag the before and after.
Nukus
2017: satellite photo from September 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
Samarkand
2018: satellite photo from September 2018 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
Trees
Which has more trees, Nukus or Samarkand?
Samarkand has more tree cover: 12.4% of the land within 2 km of its center against 7.9% around Nukus, or about 38,956 trees against 24,521.
The dark mark is each place's canopy target: 30% of the land, raised where air quality is poor.
| Nukus | Samarkand | |
|---|---|---|
| Trees standingEstimated from the canopy area. | 24.5K | 39.0K (better) |
| Trees still neededTo reach the target. Fewer is better. | 68.6K | 55.3K (better) |
| CO₂ absorbed each yearBy the trees already standing. | 539K kg | 857K kg (better) |
Tree cover on the satellite image
The same 2 km radius around each center, with the tree cover the satellite found marked on it.
Reading these numbers
How this comparison is made
Air quality index
The US EPA index, computed from current pollutant concentrations: ground stations where a place has them nearby, and the CAMS atmospheric model everywhere else. It moves hour to hour, so it is a snapshot rather than a verdict on either place. The guideline marks are from the WHO's 2021 air quality guidelines.
Trees and forest
Tree cover is the share of ground under canopy within 2 km of each center, read from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at 10 m detail. It measures that circle, not the whole municipality, which is what makes the two comparable. Forest loss comes from the University of Maryland's Global Forest Change maps.
More on the method on the About Airleaf page.
Frequently asked
Nukus vs Samarkand: your questions answered
Is Nukus cleaner than Samarkand?
On air quality they are level right now: both read 17 on the US EPA index. Air quality changes through the day, so this can separate within hours. Over the past 6 days, on modeled daily averages, Nukus averaged AQI 30 against 50, and it was the cleaner of the two on 6 of those days.
Is it safe to exercise outdoors in Nukus and Samarkand today?
The advice is the same for both today. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone. Nukus reads AQI 17 and Samarkand reads AQI 17.
Which has lost more forest, Nukus or Samarkand?
Samarkand has lost more: about 7 ha of forest within 10 km of its center from 2001 to 2025, against under 1 ha around Nukus. 3 ha of that was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Which has more trees, Nukus or Samarkand?
Samarkand has more tree cover: 12.4% of the land within 2 km of its center against 7.9% around Nukus, or about 38,956 trees against 24,521. Both figures describe the same-sized circle of ground around each center, not the whole municipality.
How many more trees do Nukus and Samarkand need?
Nukus needs about 68,596 more to reach its canopy target of 30%, and Samarkand about 55,292 to reach 30%. The target starts at 30% of the land and rises where air quality is poor.
Are Nukus and Samarkand measured the same way?
The method is the same: the US EPA index for air, and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at 10 m detail over an identical radius for trees. Both readings are model estimates, with no ground station close enough to either. Nothing is adjusted for population, city limits or climate.
How often does the Nukus vs Samarkand comparison update?
The air readings refresh about once an hour, and each reading's local time is shown at the top of the page. Tree cover comes from the latest clear satellite image of each area (Sep 19, 2026 and Sep 17, 2026), and the forest figures are published yearly.
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