Dublin
2 km around Dublin
Air quality now
AQI 31
19.5%
tree cover
32.0K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Europe · air quality report · 5 cities
Ireland air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Ireland average AQI 51 (moderate). The worst air is in Limerick, at AQI 57, and the cleanest in Dublin, at AQI 31.
At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 51 across 5 cities. None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 20% have Good air.
Average right now
AQI 51
Moderate
US EPA index, across 5 cities
- cities measured
- 5
- worst air: Limerick
- 57
- cleanest air: Dublin
- 31
- average tree cover
- 23.0%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Ireland · average AQI 51
Air quality right now in all 5 cities in Ireland
Good
Cork
2 km around Centre
Air quality now
AQI 54
26.1%
tree cover
11.9K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Limerick
2 km around Prior's-Land
Air quality now
AQI 57
24.1%
tree cover
17.6K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Galway
2 km around Galway
Air quality now
AQI 55
20.5%
tree cover
22.4K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Waterford
2 km around Waterford
Air quality now
AQI 56
24.6%
tree cover
15.7K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across Ireland today?
None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 20% have Good air. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
5 measured cities
- Good1 (20%)
- Moderate4 (80%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does Ireland compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of Ireland average cleaner air than 50% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 47%.
Cleaner air than…
- Ireland
- Beats 50%
More tree cover than…
- Ireland
- Beats 47%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Ireland lost?
Since 2001, Ireland has lost about 172,000 hectares of forest (about 240,000 football pitches): 21% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 7,160 hectares (4.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 172,000 haabout 240,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 21%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 7,160 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 | 2,050 ha | 7,440 ha | 9,480 ha |
| 2002 | 423 ha | 4,840 ha | 5,270 ha |
| 2003 | 94 ha | 2,170 ha | 2,260 ha |
| 2004 | 609 ha | 6,210 ha | 6,820 ha |
| 2005 | 845 ha | 7,210 ha | 8,050 ha |
| 2006 | 584 ha | 4,640 ha | 5,220 ha |
| 2007 | 526 ha | 11,100 ha | 11,600 ha |
| 2008 | 434 ha | 6,420 ha | 6,850 ha |
| 2009 | 474 ha | 6,720 ha | 7,200 ha |
| 2010 | 184 ha | 3,630 ha | 3,810 ha |
| 2011 | 228 ha | 2,860 ha | 3,090 ha |
| 2012 | 218 ha | 5,590 ha | 5,810 ha |
| 2013 | 37 ha | 4,720 ha | 4,750 ha |
| 2014 | 22 ha | 5,660 ha | 5,690 ha |
| 2015 | 23 ha | 4,440 ha | 4,460 ha |
| 2016 | 34 ha | 9,290 ha | 9,330 ha |
| 2017 | 84 ha | 6,000 ha | 6,090 ha |
| 2018 | 32 ha | 8,300 ha | 8,330 ha |
| 2019 | 38 ha | 10,300 ha | 10,300 ha |
| 2020 | 18 ha | 6,160 ha | 6,180 ha |
| 2021 | 42 ha | 8,680 ha | 8,730 ha |
| 2022 | 17 ha | 6,690 ha | 6,710 ha |
| 2023 | 30 ha | 6,790 ha | 6,830 ha |
| 2024 | 32 ha | 7,240 ha | 7,280 ha |
| 2025 | 82 ha | 12,100 ha | 12,200 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 8,340 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 8,040 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 12,200 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Ireland?
- Loggingcan grow back92% · 158,000 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good3.8% · 6,630 ha
- Unknown causescause unknown3.1% · 5,370 ha
Also: wildfires, towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, mining and energy.
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
Ireland as a whole
12.0% of Ireland was forested as of 2024, against a 30% benchmark. Closing that gap nationally would take roughly 1.2B trees across 1.2M hectares. Source: World Bank (FAO).
Build your own
Compare Ireland with another country
This place
Ireland
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Ireland
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 Ireland: your questions answered
What is the air quality in Ireland today?
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Ireland average AQI 51 (moderate). The worst air is in Limerick, at AQI 57, and the cleanest in Dublin, at AQI 31. At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 51 across 5 cities. None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 20% have Good air.
Which city in Ireland has the worst air right now?
Limerick, at AQI 57 (Moderate) on the US EPA index. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Which city in Ireland has the cleanest air right now?
Dublin, at AQI 31 (Good). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever Ireland has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in Ireland safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 1 city is Good, 4 cities are Moderate. At the national average of AQI 51: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has Ireland lost since 2001?
About 172,000 ha from 2001 to 2025, 21% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 7,160 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in Ireland?
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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