Thimphu
2 km around Chang Zamtok
Air quality now
AQI 7
48.1%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Asia · air quality report · 4 cities
Bhutan air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 4 cities Airleaf measures in Bhutan average AQI 45 (good). The worst air is in Punākha, at AQI 81, and the cleanest in Thimphu, at AQI 7.
None of the 4 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 50% have Good air.
Average right now
AQI 45
Good
US EPA index, across 4 cities
- cities measured
- 4
- worst air: Punākha
- 81
- cleanest air: Thimphu
- 7
- average tree cover
- 60.9%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Bhutan · average AQI 45
Air quality right now in all 4 cities in Bhutan
Good
Phuntsholing
2 km around Phuentsholing
Air quality now
AQI 67
61.0%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Tsirang
2 km around Kikhorthang Gewog
Air quality now
AQI 24
77.5%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Punākha
2 km around Punakha
Air quality now
AQI 81
56.9%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across Bhutan today?
None of the 4 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 50% have Good air. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
4 measured cities
- Good2 (50%)
- Moderate2 (50%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does Bhutan compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of Bhutan average cleaner air than 63% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 100%.
Cleaner air than…
- Bhutan
- Beats 63%
More tree cover than…
- Bhutan
- Beats 100%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Bhutan lost?
Since 2001, Bhutan has lost about 31,800 hectares of forest (about 44,000 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was farms, pasture and plantations (26%). About 12,200 hectares (38%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 31,800 haabout 44,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 1.2%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 12,200 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 | 55 ha | 249 ha | 303 ha |
| 2002 | 34 ha | 198 ha | 231 ha |
| 2003 | 244 ha | 309 ha | 553 ha |
| 2004 | 423 ha | 625 ha | 1,050 ha |
| 2005 | 263 ha | 535 ha | 798 ha |
| 2006 | 178 ha | 459 ha | 637 ha |
| 2007 | 177 ha | 364 ha | 541 ha |
| 2008 | 306 ha | 523 ha | 829 ha |
| 2009 | 463 ha | 764 ha | 1,230 ha |
| 2010 | 2,180 ha | 2,290 ha | 4,470 ha |
| 2011 | 463 ha | 690 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2012 | 406 ha | 422 ha | 828 ha |
| 2013 | 284 ha | 244 ha | 528 ha |
| 2014 | 613 ha | 670 ha | 1,280 ha |
| 2015 | 352 ha | 410 ha | 762 ha |
| 2016 | 796 ha | 1,180 ha | 1,980 ha |
| 2017 | 638 ha | 1,350 ha | 1,990 ha |
| 2018 | 387 ha | 876 ha | 1,260 ha |
| 2019 | 332 ha | 527 ha | 859 ha |
| 2020 | 559 ha | 718 ha | 1,280 ha |
| 2021 | 569 ha | 741 ha | 1,310 ha |
| 2022 | 545 ha | 735 ha | 1,280 ha |
| 2023 | 572 ha | 1,240 ha | 1,810 ha |
| 2024 | 512 ha | 747 ha | 1,260 ha |
| 2025 | 862 ha | 2,680 ha | 3,540 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,840 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,470 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 4,470 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Bhutan?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good26% · 8,300 ha
- Storms, floods and other natural causescan grow back20% · 6,450 ha
- Loggingcan grow back15% · 4,690 ha
Also: wildfires, towns and roads, shifting farming, mining and energy, 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
Bhutan as a whole
70.4% of Bhutan was forested as of 2024, against a 30% benchmark. That already clears the benchmark — the city reports above show where cover is still thin locally. Source: World Bank (FAO).
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Bhutan
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Bhutan
Picked by tested clean-air delivery rate (CADR), noise and running cost, from independent test labels. No brand pays to be listed.
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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 Bhutan: your questions answered
What is the air quality in Bhutan today?
Right now the 4 cities Airleaf measures in Bhutan average AQI 45 (good). The worst air is in Punākha, at AQI 81, and the cleanest in Thimphu, at AQI 7. None of the 4 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 50% have Good air.
Which city in Bhutan has the worst air right now?
Punākha, at AQI 81 (Moderate) on the US EPA index. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Which city in Bhutan has the cleanest air right now?
Thimphu, at AQI 7 (Good). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever Bhutan has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in Bhutan safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 2 cities are Good, 2 cities are Moderate. At the national average of AQI 45: Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
How much forest has Bhutan lost since 2001?
About 31,800 ha from 2001 to 2025, 1% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 12,200 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in Bhutan?
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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