Wellington
2 km around Wellington Central
Air quality now
AQI 24
44.8%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Oceania · air quality report · 8 cities
New Zealand air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 8 cities Airleaf measures in New Zealand average AQI 36 (good). The worst air is in Christchurch, at AQI 59, and the cleanest in Dunedin, at AQI 8.
At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 44 across 4 cities. None of the 8 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 63% have Good air.
Average right now
AQI 36
Good
US EPA index, across 8 cities
- cities measured
- 8
- worst air: Christchurch
- 59
- cleanest air: Dunedin
- 8
- average tree cover
- 27.5%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
New Zealand · average AQI 36
Air quality right now in all 8 cities in New Zealand
Good
Auckland
2 km around Auckland CBD
Air quality now
AQI 52
22.5%
tree cover
17.1K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Christchurch
2 km around Christchurch Central City
Air quality now
AQI 59
19.1%
tree cover
34.2K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Hamilton
2 km around Claudelands
Air quality now
AQI 45
27.1%
tree cover
8.7K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Tauranga
2 km around Tauranga 3110
Air quality now
AQI 23
23.3%
tree cover
9.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Manukau City
2 km around Manukau City Centre
Air quality now
AQI 56
17.2%
tree cover
40.2K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Dunedin
2 km around Central Dunedin
Air quality now
AQI 8
33.5%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Lower Hutt
2 km around Woburn
Air quality now
AQI 23
32.6%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across New Zealand today?
None of the 8 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 63% have Good air. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
8 measured cities
- Good5 (63%)
- Moderate3 (38%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
In aggregate
New Zealand in numbers
Every figure below is read the same way over the same 2 km area per city, so they add up and compare like for like. Averaged across the 8 of 8 cities measured so far in New Zealand.
- Average air quality
- AQI 36Mean of the latest reading per city
- Average tree cover
- 27.5%5 of 8 below their target
- Trees counted
- 588KAcross every measured area
- More trees needed
- 110KTo bring each area to its target
Worst air quality right now
Cleanest air right now
Greenest cities in New Zealand
Least tree cover in New Zealand
Excludes barren and desert sites
Against everywhere else
How does New Zealand compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of New Zealand average cleaner air than 76% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 61%.
Cleaner air than…
- New Zealand
- Beats 76%
More tree cover than…
- New Zealand
- Beats 61%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has New Zealand lost?
Since 2001, New Zealand has lost about 1.51 million hectares of forest (about 15,000 km²): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 152,000 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.51 million haabout 15,000 km²
- Share of its forest
- 14%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 152,000 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 | 5,050 ha | 44,500 ha | 49,500 ha |
| 2002 | 7,250 ha | 54,600 ha | 61,900 ha |
| 2003 | 5,160 ha | 38,000 ha | 43,200 ha |
| 2004 | 8,210 ha | 50,600 ha | 58,800 ha |
| 2005 | 8,550 ha | 42,200 ha | 50,800 ha |
| 2006 | 10,500 ha | 49,200 ha | 59,600 ha |
| 2007 | 14,600 ha | 45,500 ha | 60,100 ha |
| 2008 | 10,000 ha | 50,300 ha | 60,300 ha |
| 2009 | 7,270 ha | 51,400 ha | 58,600 ha |
| 2010 | 6,140 ha | 49,000 ha | 55,200 ha |
| 2011 | 6,620 ha | 51,900 ha | 58,500 ha |
| 2012 | 7,490 ha | 60,800 ha | 68,300 ha |
| 2013 | 9,590 ha | 66,700 ha | 76,300 ha |
| 2014 | 8,480 ha | 69,300 ha | 77,700 ha |
| 2015 | 5,200 ha | 57,400 ha | 62,600 ha |
| 2016 | 6,590 ha | 72,200 ha | 78,800 ha |
| 2017 | 5,310 ha | 68,400 ha | 73,700 ha |
| 2018 | 4,030 ha | 73,900 ha | 77,900 ha |
| 2019 | 3,110 ha | 66,800 ha | 69,900 ha |
| 2020 | 2,220 ha | 57,600 ha | 59,800 ha |
| 2021 | 2,390 ha | 62,700 ha | 65,100 ha |
| 2022 | 2,210 ha | 55,300 ha | 57,500 ha |
| 2023 | 1,500 ha | 47,900 ha | 49,400 ha |
| 2024 | 1,420 ha | 37,200 ha | 38,600 ha |
| 2025 | 2,860 ha | 36,200 ha | 39,000 ha |
Forest loss is slowing down: about 49,900 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 72,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2016, when about 78,800 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in New Zealand?
- Loggingcan grow back86% · 1.29 million ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good9.5% · 144,000 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back2.2% · 32,500 ha
Also: storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, mining and energy, shifting farming, 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
New Zealand as a whole
38.9% of New Zealand 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 New Zealand with another country
This place
New Zealand
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in New Zealand
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 New Zealand: your questions answered
What is the air quality in New Zealand today?
Right now the 8 cities Airleaf measures in New Zealand average AQI 36 (good). The worst air is in Christchurch, at AQI 59, and the cleanest in Dunedin, at AQI 8. At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 44 across 4 cities. None of the 8 measured cities is over AQI 100 today, and 63% have Good air.
Which city in New Zealand has the worst air right now?
Christchurch, at AQI 59 (Moderate) on the US EPA index. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Which city in New Zealand has the cleanest air right now?
Dunedin, at AQI 8 (Good). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever New Zealand has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in New Zealand safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 5 cities are Good, 3 cities are Moderate. At the national average of AQI 36: Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
How much forest has New Zealand lost since 2001?
About 1.51 million ha from 2001 to 2025, 14% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 152,000 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Which city in New Zealand has the most trees?
Wellington, with 44.8% tree cover within 2 km of its center, measured from Sentinel-2 satellite images.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in New Zealand?
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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