Copenhagen
2 km around Metropolzonen
Air quality now
AQI 73
17.4%
tree cover
36.2K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Europe · air quality report · 5 cities
Denmark air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Denmark average AQI 45 (good). The worst air is in Copenhagen, at AQI 73, and the cleanest in Århus, at AQI 29.
At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 44 across 3 cities. None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 60% have Good air.
Average right now
AQI 45
Good
US EPA index, across 5 cities
- cities measured
- 5
- worst air: Copenhagen
- 73
- cleanest air: Århus
- 29
- average tree cover
- 23.3%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Denmark · average AQI 45
Air quality right now in all 5 cities in Denmark
Moderate
Århus
2 km around Latinerkvarteret
Air quality now
AQI 29
20.0%
tree cover
24.3K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Odense
2 km around Odense C
Air quality now
AQI 71
32.2%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Aalborg
2 km around The Theatre District
Air quality now
AQI 30
23.8%
tree cover
16.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Esbjerg
2 km around Esbjerg
Air quality now
AQI 22
23.2%
tree cover
17.8K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across Denmark today?
None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 60% have Good air. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
5 measured cities
- Good3 (60%)
- Moderate2 (40%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does Denmark compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of Denmark average cleaner air than 62% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 48%.
Cleaner air than…
- Denmark
- Beats 62%
More tree cover than…
- Denmark
- Beats 48%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Denmark lost?
Since 2001, Denmark has lost about 104,000 hectares of forest (about 150,000 football pitches): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,370 hectares (3.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 104,000 haabout 150,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 16%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 3,370 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 | 285 ha | 3,880 ha | 4,160 ha |
| 2002 | 52 ha | 1,110 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2003 | 70 ha | 1,460 ha | 1,530 ha |
| 2004 | 97 ha | 2,190 ha | 2,290 ha |
| 2005 | 253 ha | 8,600 ha | 8,850 ha |
| 2006 | 154 ha | 4,940 ha | 5,100 ha |
| 2007 | 128 ha | 4,130 ha | 4,260 ha |
| 2008 | 257 ha | 5,650 ha | 5,900 ha |
| 2009 | 289 ha | 6,180 ha | 6,470 ha |
| 2010 | 165 ha | 4,120 ha | 4,290 ha |
| 2011 | 72 ha | 2,980 ha | 3,060 ha |
| 2012 | 166 ha | 4,180 ha | 4,350 ha |
| 2013 | 67 ha | 1,910 ha | 1,980 ha |
| 2014 | 129 ha | 5,110 ha | 5,240 ha |
| 2015 | 95 ha | 2,420 ha | 2,510 ha |
| 2016 | 143 ha | 4,390 ha | 4,530 ha |
| 2017 | 137 ha | 4,130 ha | 4,260 ha |
| 2018 | 107 ha | 2,970 ha | 3,080 ha |
| 2019 | 192 ha | 8,810 ha | 9,000 ha |
| 2020 | 101 ha | 3,020 ha | 3,120 ha |
| 2021 | 122 ha | 4,500 ha | 4,620 ha |
| 2022 | 65 ha | 3,220 ha | 3,290 ha |
| 2023 | 76 ha | 3,780 ha | 3,850 ha |
| 2024 | 84 ha | 3,450 ha | 3,540 ha |
| 2025 | 64 ha | 3,540 ha | 3,600 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 3,780 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 4,800 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 9,000 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Denmark?
- Loggingcan grow back95% · 98,700 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good1.8% · 1,880 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good1.2% · 1,200 ha
Also: mining and energy, wildfires, 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
Denmark as a whole
16.0% of Denmark was forested as of 2024, against a 30% benchmark. Closing that gap nationally would take roughly 559.4M trees across 559K hectares. Source: World Bank (FAO).
Build your own
Compare Denmark with another country
This place
Denmark
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Denmark
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 Denmark: your questions answered
What is the air quality in Denmark today?
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Denmark average AQI 45 (good). The worst air is in Copenhagen, at AQI 73, and the cleanest in Århus, at AQI 29. At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 44 across 3 cities. None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 60% have Good air.
Which city in Denmark has the worst air right now?
Copenhagen, at AQI 73 (Moderate) on the US EPA index. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Which city in Denmark has the cleanest air right now?
Århus, at AQI 29 (Good). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever Denmark has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in Denmark safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 3 cities are Good, 2 cities are Moderate. At the national average of AQI 45: Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
How much forest has Denmark lost since 2001?
About 104,000 ha from 2001 to 2025, 16% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 3,370 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in Denmark?
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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