Monrovia
1.2 mi (2 km) around Capitol Hill
Air quality now
AQI 123
25.1%
tree cover
13.1K more trees would reach 35% tree cover
Africa · air quality report · 5 cities
Liberia air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Liberia average AQI 54 (moderate). The worst air is in Monrovia, at AQI 123, and the cleanest in Buchanan, at AQI 28.
20% of the 5 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 80% have Good air.
Average right now
AQI 54
Moderate
US EPA index, across 5 cities
- cities measured
- 5
- worst air: Monrovia
- 123
- cleanest air: Buchanan
- 28
- average tree cover
- 34.1%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Liberia · average AQI 54
Air quality right now in all 5 cities in Liberia
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Gbarnga
1.2 mi (2 km) around Gbarnga
Air quality now
AQI 31
48.1%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Buchanan
1.2 mi (2 km) around Buchanan
Air quality now
AQI 28
19.9%
tree cover
21.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Ganta
1.2 mi (2 km) around Ganta
Air quality now
AQI 48
43.4%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Kakata
1.2 mi (2 km) around Kakata
Air quality now
AQI 40
34.1%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across Liberia today?
20% of the 5 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 80% have Good air. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
5 measured cities
- Good4 (80%)
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups1 (20%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does Liberia compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of Liberia average cleaner air than 46% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 76%.
Cleaner air than…
- Liberia
- Beats 46%
More tree cover than…
- Liberia
- Beats 76%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Liberia lost?
Since 2001, Liberia has lost about 2.66 million hectares of forest (about 27,000 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 749,000 hectares (28%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2.66 million haabout 27,000 km²
- Share of its forest
- 28%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 749,000 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 | 11,300 ha | 17,800 ha | 29,100 ha |
| 2002 | 16,600 ha | 40,400 ha | 57,000 ha |
| 2003 | 7,090 ha | 14,600 ha | 21,700 ha |
| 2004 | 1,680 ha | 4,580 ha | 6,250 ha |
| 2005 | 3,300 ha | 8,000 ha | 11,300 ha |
| 2006 | 11,200 ha | 25,100 ha | 36,300 ha |
| 2007 | 12,900 ha | 31,300 ha | 44,200 ha |
| 2008 | 11,200 ha | 25,000 ha | 36,100 ha |
| 2009 | 20,100 ha | 54,900 ha | 75,000 ha |
| 2010 | 5,970 ha | 14,300 ha | 20,200 ha |
| 2011 | 12,400 ha | 22,200 ha | 34,600 ha |
| 2012 | 23,600 ha | 48,600 ha | 72,300 ha |
| 2013 | 50,000 ha | 106,000 ha | 156,000 ha |
| 2014 | 53,700 ha | 110,000 ha | 164,000 ha |
| 2015 | 44,900 ha | 142,000 ha | 186,000 ha |
| 2016 | 45,100 ha | 123,000 ha | 169,000 ha |
| 2017 | 49,300 ha | 154,000 ha | 204,000 ha |
| 2018 | 54,400 ha | 150,000 ha | 205,000 ha |
| 2019 | 41,600 ha | 130,000 ha | 172,000 ha |
| 2020 | 57,000 ha | 163,000 ha | 220,000 ha |
| 2021 | 32,200 ha | 97,200 ha | 129,000 ha |
| 2022 | 45,800 ha | 105,000 ha | 151,000 ha |
| 2023 | 46,000 ha | 108,000 ha | 154,000 ha |
| 2024 | 50,500 ha | 115,000 ha | 165,000 ha |
| 2025 | 41,600 ha | 103,000 ha | 145,000 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 149,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 194,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2020, when about 220,000 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Liberia?
- Shifting farmingcan grow back70% · 1.88 million ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good27% · 726,000 ha
- Loggingcan grow back1.3% · 34,000 ha
Also: towns and roads, 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
Liberia as a whole
66.1% of Liberia 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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Liberia
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Liberia
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 Liberia: your questions answered
What is the air quality in Liberia today?
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in Liberia average AQI 54 (moderate). The worst air is in Monrovia, at AQI 123, and the cleanest in Buchanan, at AQI 28. 20% of the 5 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 80% have Good air.
Which city in Liberia has the worst air right now?
Monrovia, at AQI 123 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups) on the US EPA index. Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
Which city in Liberia has the cleanest air right now?
Buchanan, at AQI 28 (Good). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever Liberia has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in Liberia safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 4 cities are Good, 1 city is Unhealthy for sensitive groups. At the national average of AQI 54: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has Liberia lost since 2001?
About 2.66 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. 749,000 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in Liberia?
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 1.2 mi (2 km) radius in every city, so the cities compare like for like.
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