Vientiane
2 km around Vientiane
Air quality now
AQI 131
27.6%
tree cover
21.1K more trees would reach 35% tree cover
Asia · air quality report · 5 cities
Laos air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Laos average AQI 61 (moderate). The worst air is in Vientiane, at AQI 131, and the cleanest in Pakse, at AQI 9.
At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 61 across 5 cities. 20% of the 5 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 40% have Good air.
Average right now
AQI 61
Moderate
US EPA index, across 5 cities
- cities measured
- 5
- worst air: Vientiane
- 131
- cleanest air: Pakse
- 9
- average tree cover
- 35.5%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Laos · average AQI 61
Air quality right now in all 5 cities in Laos
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Savannakhet
2 km around Savannakhet
Air quality now
AQI 54
30.2%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Thakhèk
2 km around Thakhek
Air quality now
AQI 97
50.3%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Pakse
2 km around Pakse
Air quality now
AQI 9
22.7%
tree cover
15.0K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Ban Khoan
2 km around Muang Tonpheung
Air quality now
AQI 14
46.9%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across Laos today?
20% of the 5 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 40% have Good air. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
5 measured cities
- Good2 (40%)
- Moderate2 (40%)
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups1 (20%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does Laos compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of Laos average cleaner air than 35% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 78%.
Cleaner air than…
- Laos
- Beats 35%
More tree cover than…
- Laos
- Beats 78%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Laos lost?
Since 2001, Laos has lost about 5.4 million hectares of forest (about 54,000 km²): 28% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 2.09 million hectares (39%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5.4 million haabout 54,000 km²
- Share of its forest
- 28%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 2.09 million 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 | 17,400 ha | 19,100 ha | 36,500 ha |
| 2002 | 26,400 ha | 29,600 ha | 56,000 ha |
| 2003 | 32,000 ha | 55,100 ha | 87,100 ha |
| 2004 | 31,700 ha | 32,600 ha | 64,300 ha |
| 2005 | 27,600 ha | 40,700 ha | 68,300 ha |
| 2006 | 57,700 ha | 65,300 ha | 123,000 ha |
| 2007 | 69,900 ha | 63,400 ha | 133,000 ha |
| 2008 | 43,300 ha | 37,300 ha | 80,700 ha |
| 2009 | 77,100 ha | 68,800 ha | 146,000 ha |
| 2010 | 73,400 ha | 94,200 ha | 168,000 ha |
| 2011 | 74,200 ha | 57,000 ha | 131,000 ha |
| 2012 | 71,000 ha | 76,800 ha | 148,000 ha |
| 2013 | 64,500 ha | 141,000 ha | 206,000 ha |
| 2014 | 81,000 ha | 163,000 ha | 244,000 ha |
| 2015 | 88,300 ha | 197,000 ha | 285,000 ha |
| 2016 | 121,000 ha | 268,000 ha | 389,000 ha |
| 2017 | 105,000 ha | 244,000 ha | 349,000 ha |
| 2018 | 98,800 ha | 196,000 ha | 294,000 ha |
| 2019 | 128,000 ha | 236,000 ha | 364,000 ha |
| 2020 | 125,000 ha | 233,000 ha | 358,000 ha |
| 2021 | 121,000 ha | 196,000 ha | 318,000 ha |
| 2022 | 142,000 ha | 179,000 ha | 321,000 ha |
| 2023 | 187,000 ha | 258,000 ha | 445,000 ha |
| 2024 | 145,000 ha | 206,000 ha | 351,000 ha |
| 2025 | 86,500 ha | 143,000 ha | 229,000 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 333,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 351,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2023, when about 445,000 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Laos?
- Shifting farmingcan grow back60% · 3.24 million ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good37% · 1.97 million ha
- Mining and energycleared for good2% · 109,000 ha
Also: logging, towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires, 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
Laos as a whole
56.6% of Laos 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
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Laos
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Cleaner air at home in Laos
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Frequently asked
Air quality in Laos: your questions answered
What is the air quality in Laos today?
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Laos average AQI 61 (moderate). The worst air is in Vientiane, at AQI 131, and the cleanest in Pakse, at AQI 9. At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 61 across 5 cities. 20% of the 5 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 40% have Good air.
Which city in Laos has the worst air right now?
Vientiane, at AQI 131 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups) on the US EPA index. Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
Which city in Laos has the cleanest air right now?
Pakse, at AQI 9 (Good). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever Laos has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in Laos safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 2 cities are Good, 2 cities are Moderate, 1 city is Unhealthy for sensitive groups. At the national average of AQI 61: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has Laos lost since 2001?
About 5.4 million ha from 2001 to 2025, 28% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 2.09 million ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in Laos?
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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