Sofia
2 km around Old City Center
Air quality now
AQI 59
26.5%
tree cover
11.0K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Europe · air quality report · 6 cities
Bulgaria air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 6 cities Airleaf measures in Bulgaria average AQI 93 (moderate). The worst air is in Varna, at AQI 127, and the cleanest in Sofia, at AQI 59.
At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 89 across 5 cities. 50% of the 6 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Average right now
AQI 93
Moderate
US EPA index, across 6 cities
- cities measured
- 6
- worst air: Varna
- 127
- cleanest air: Sofia
- 59
- average tree cover
- 32.5%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Bulgaria · average AQI 93
Air quality right now in all 6 cities in Bulgaria
Moderate
Plovdiv
2 km around Central district
Air quality now
AQI 81
31.0%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Varna
2 km around Tsveten kvartalPrimorski
Air quality now
AQI 127
31.7%
tree cover
10.4K more trees would reach 35% tree cover
Burgas
2 km around g.k. Bratya Miladinovi
Air quality now
AQI 117
28.2%
tree cover
16.2K more trees would reach 35% tree cover
Stara Zagora
2 km around Orbita
Air quality now
AQI 105
35.0%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Ruse
2 km around Ruse Center
Air quality now
AQI 71
42.6%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across Bulgaria today?
50% 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
- Moderate3 (50%)
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups3 (50%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does Bulgaria compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of Bulgaria average cleaner air than 7% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 72%.
Cleaner air than…
- Bulgaria
- Beats 7%
More tree cover than…
- Bulgaria
- Beats 72%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Bulgaria lost?
Since 2001, Bulgaria has lost about 163,000 hectares of forest (about 230,000 football pitches): 3.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 6,190 hectares (3.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 163,000 haabout 230,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 3.9%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 6,190 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 | 212 ha | 8,030 ha | 8,240 ha |
| 2002 | 111 ha | 4,570 ha | 4,680 ha |
| 2003 | 175 ha | 5,070 ha | 5,250 ha |
| 2004 | 235 ha | 8,040 ha | 8,280 ha |
| 2005 | 296 ha | 6,340 ha | 6,630 ha |
| 2006 | 215 ha | 5,010 ha | 5,220 ha |
| 2007 | 382 ha | 9,210 ha | 9,590 ha |
| 2008 | 340 ha | 6,140 ha | 6,480 ha |
| 2009 | 197 ha | 5,920 ha | 6,120 ha |
| 2010 | 113 ha | 3,530 ha | 3,640 ha |
| 2011 | 177 ha | 3,240 ha | 3,420 ha |
| 2012 | 247 ha | 9,780 ha | 10,000 ha |
| 2013 | 95 ha | 3,650 ha | 3,750 ha |
| 2014 | 190 ha | 6,660 ha | 6,850 ha |
| 2015 | 190 ha | 7,250 ha | 7,440 ha |
| 2016 | 268 ha | 7,320 ha | 7,590 ha |
| 2017 | 506 ha | 7,370 ha | 7,870 ha |
| 2018 | 371 ha | 9,580 ha | 9,950 ha |
| 2019 | 244 ha | 4,130 ha | 4,370 ha |
| 2020 | 332 ha | 4,680 ha | 5,010 ha |
| 2021 | 244 ha | 6,720 ha | 6,970 ha |
| 2022 | 160 ha | 4,240 ha | 4,400 ha |
| 2023 | 248 ha | 5,680 ha | 5,930 ha |
| 2024 | 234 ha | 5,340 ha | 5,580 ha |
| 2025 | 404 ha | 9,290 ha | 9,690 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 6,510 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 6,960 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 10,000 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Bulgaria?
- Loggingcan grow back86% · 140,000 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back5.8% · 9,530 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good1.6% · 2,550 ha
Also: farms, pasture and plantations, mining and energy, 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
Bulgaria as a whole
36.4% of Bulgaria 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).
Build your own
Compare Bulgaria with another country
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Bulgaria
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Bulgaria
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.
- The best air purifiers under $200
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 Bulgaria: your questions answered
What is the air quality in Bulgaria today?
Right now the 6 cities Airleaf measures in Bulgaria average AQI 93 (moderate). The worst air is in Varna, at AQI 127, and the cleanest in Sofia, at AQI 59. At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 89 across 5 cities. 50% of the 6 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Which city in Bulgaria has the worst air right now?
Varna, at AQI 127 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups) on the US EPA index. Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
Which city in Bulgaria has the cleanest air right now?
Sofia, at AQI 59 (Moderate). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever Bulgaria has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in Bulgaria safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 3 cities are Moderate, 3 cities are Unhealthy for sensitive groups. At the national average of AQI 93: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has Bulgaria lost since 2001?
About 163,000 ha from 2001 to 2025, 4% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 6,190 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in Bulgaria?
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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