Porto-Novo
2 km around Porto-Novo
Air quality now
AQI 134
12.3%
tree cover
71.3K more trees would reach 35% tree cover
Africa · air quality report · 6 cities
Benin air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 6 cities Airleaf measures in Benin average AQI 81 (moderate). The worst air is in Porto-Novo, at AQI 134, and the cleanest in Abomey-Calavi, at AQI 66.
17% of the 6 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Average right now
AQI 81
Moderate
US EPA index, across 6 cities
- cities measured
- 6
- worst air: Porto-Novo
- 134
- cleanest air: Abomey-Calavi
- 66
- average tree cover
- 13.2%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Benin · average AQI 81
Air quality right now in all 6 cities in Benin
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Cotonou
2 km around Todote
Air quality now
AQI 69
4.3%
tree cover
80.7K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Parakou
2 km around Ladjifarani
Air quality now
AQI 67
19.3%
tree cover
33.6K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Abomey
2 km around Abomey
Air quality now
AQI 78
26.5%
tree cover
11.0K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Djougou
2 km around Djougou
Air quality now
AQI 70
9.8%
tree cover
63.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Abomey-Calavi
2 km around Abomey Calavi
Air quality now
AQI 66
6.8%
tree cover
56.0K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across Benin today?
17% of the 6 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
6 measured cities
- Moderate5 (83%)
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups1 (17%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does Benin compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of Benin average cleaner air than 15% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 26%.
Cleaner air than…
- Benin
- Beats 15%
More tree cover than…
- Benin
- Beats 26%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Benin lost?
Since 2001, Benin has lost about 51,100 hectares of forest (about 72,000 football pitches): 30% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 51,100 haabout 72,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 30%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 50,000 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3,720 ha | 62 ha | 3,780 ha |
| 2002 | 3,410 ha | 127 ha | 3,530 ha |
| 2003 | 3,510 ha | 69 ha | 3,580 ha |
| 2004 | 684 ha | 18 ha | 702 ha |
| 2005 | 1,610 ha | 14 ha | 1,630 ha |
| 2006 | 1,810 ha | 48 ha | 1,860 ha |
| 2007 | 4,670 ha | 90 ha | 4,760 ha |
| 2008 | 440 ha | 36 ha | 476 ha |
| 2009 | 5,000 ha | 57 ha | 5,060 ha |
| 2010 | 514 ha | 13 ha | 527 ha |
| 2011 | 659 ha | 7 ha | 666 ha |
| 2012 | 2,840 ha | 39 ha | 2,870 ha |
| 2013 | 1,260 ha | 76 ha | 1,340 ha |
| 2014 | 1,370 ha | 52 ha | 1,420 ha |
| 2015 | 592 ha | 23 ha | 615 ha |
| 2016 | 1,960 ha | 80 ha | 2,040 ha |
| 2017 | 2,270 ha | 21 ha | 2,290 ha |
| 2018 | 1,840 ha | 9 ha | 1,850 ha |
| 2019 | 801 ha | 7 ha | 808 ha |
| 2020 | 1,660 ha | 11 ha | 1,680 ha |
| 2021 | 1,720 ha | 10 ha | 1,730 ha |
| 2022 | 1,690 ha | 23 ha | 1,710 ha |
| 2023 | 2,680 ha | 44 ha | 2,720 ha |
| 2024 | 1,440 ha | 13 ha | 1,450 ha |
| 2025 | 1,900 ha | 103 ha | 2,000 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,920 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,730 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 5,060 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Benin?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good96% · 49,200 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good1.5% · 766 ha
- Loggingcan grow back1.3% · 686 ha
Also: mining and energy, shifting farming, storms, floods and other natural causes, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Global Forest Change (GFC-2025-v1.13); causes: WRI/Google DeepMind drivers of forest loss; both CC BY 4.0, summed by Airleaf for each area. How it's measured
Benin as a whole
28.1% of Benin was forested as of 2024, against a 30% benchmark. Closing that gap nationally would take roughly 212.2M trees across 212K hectares. Source: World Bank (FAO).
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Benin
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Benin
Picked by tested clean-air delivery rate (CADR), noise and running cost, from independent test labels. No brand pays to be listed.
- The best air purifiers for wildfire smoke and smog
Air purifiers that keep up with wildfire smoke and winter smog, ranked by verified smoke CADR, with the room each one clears on a smoky day.
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Good HEPA air purifiers under $200 at the makers' own prices, compared on verified clean air, room size and what the filters cost each year.
- NIOSH-approved N95 masks for smoke and smog
NIOSH-approved N95 masks and P100 respirators for smog and smoke, and how to get the fit right. Cloth and surgical masks do little against PM2.5.
Frequently asked
Air quality in Benin: your questions answered
What is the air quality in Benin today?
Right now the 6 cities Airleaf measures in Benin average AQI 81 (moderate). The worst air is in Porto-Novo, at AQI 134, and the cleanest in Abomey-Calavi, at AQI 66. 17% of the 6 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Which city in Benin has the worst air right now?
Porto-Novo, at AQI 134 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups) on the US EPA index. Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
Which city in Benin has the cleanest air right now?
Abomey-Calavi, at AQI 66 (Moderate). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever Benin has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in Benin safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 5 cities are Moderate, 1 city is Unhealthy for sensitive groups. At the national average of AQI 81: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has Benin lost since 2001?
About 51,100 ha from 2001 to 2025, 30% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 50,000 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in Benin?
Each city's reading is the US EPA air quality index, from ground monitoring stations where one has reported recently nearby, and from the CAMS atmospheric model elsewhere; each city's report says which. Tree cover is measured over the same 2 km radius in every city, so the cities compare like for like.
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