Pyongyang
2 km around Pyongyang
Air quality now
AQI 69
24.3%
tree cover
15.3K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Asia · air quality report · 29 cities
North Korea air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 29 cities Airleaf measures in North Korea average AQI 84 (moderate). The worst air is in Kaech’ŏn, at AQI 177, and the cleanest in Hŭngnam, at AQI 52.
24% of the 29 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Average right now
AQI 84
Moderate
US EPA index, across 29 cities
- cities measured
- 29
- worst air: Kaech’ŏn
- 177
- cleanest air: Hŭngnam
- 52
- average tree cover
- 18.5%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
North Korea · average AQI 84
Air quality right now in the 8 largest cities in North Korea
Moderate
Hamhŭng
2 km around Songchongang-guyok
Air quality now
AQI 55
13.2%
tree cover
50.1K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Namp’o
2 km around Nampo
Air quality now
AQI 63
6.8%
tree cover
61.4K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Sunch’ŏn
2 km around Sunchŏn
Air quality now
AQI 158
18.6%
tree cover
59.6K more trees would reach 40% tree cover
Kaesŏng
2 km around Kaesŏng
Air quality now
AQI 77
10.0%
tree cover
62.8K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Hŭngnam
2 km around Hungnam-guyok
Air quality now
AQI 52
16.3%
tree cover
35.6K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Wŏnsan
2 km around Wonsan
Air quality now
AQI 57
29.7%
tree cover
766 more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Chongjin
2 km around Chongjin
Air quality now
AQI 62
3.3%
tree cover
82.0K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across North Korea today?
24% of the 29 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
29 measured cities
- Moderate22 (76%)
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups4 (14%)
- Unhealthy3 (10%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
In aggregate
North Korea 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 29 of 29 cities measured so far in North Korea.
- Average air quality
- AQI 84Mean of the latest reading per city
- Average tree cover
- 18.5%26 of 29 below their target
- Trees counted
- 1.5MAcross every measured area
- More trees needed
- 1.2MTo bring each area to its target
Worst air quality right now
Cleanest air right now
Greenest cities in North Korea
Least tree cover in North Korea
Excludes barren and desert sites
Against everywhere else
How does North Korea compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of North Korea average cleaner air than 12% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 38%.
Cleaner air than…
- North Korea
- Beats 12%
More tree cover than…
- North Korea
- Beats 38%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has North Korea lost?
Since 2001, North Korea has lost about 302,000 hectares of forest (about 3,000 km²): 5.8% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 61,000 hectares (20%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 302,000 haabout 3,000 km²
- Share of its forest
- 5.8%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 61,000 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 | 2,130 ha | 9,810 ha | 11,900 ha |
| 2002 | 1,260 ha | 4,100 ha | 5,360 ha |
| 2003 | 1,280 ha | 6,080 ha | 7,360 ha |
| 2004 | 2,360 ha | 9,020 ha | 11,400 ha |
| 2005 | 3,500 ha | 13,000 ha | 16,500 ha |
| 2006 | 2,880 ha | 9,700 ha | 12,600 ha |
| 2007 | 4,880 ha | 8,400 ha | 13,300 ha |
| 2008 | 6,440 ha | 12,400 ha | 18,800 ha |
| 2009 | 4,220 ha | 8,890 ha | 13,100 ha |
| 2010 | 6,240 ha | 12,800 ha | 19,000 ha |
| 2011 | 899 ha | 4,530 ha | 5,430 ha |
| 2012 | 6,660 ha | 10,000 ha | 16,700 ha |
| 2013 | 732 ha | 4,290 ha | 5,020 ha |
| 2014 | 3,490 ha | 7,450 ha | 10,900 ha |
| 2015 | 666 ha | 10,200 ha | 10,900 ha |
| 2016 | 780 ha | 10,700 ha | 11,500 ha |
| 2017 | 980 ha | 7,550 ha | 8,530 ha |
| 2018 | 754 ha | 6,950 ha | 7,700 ha |
| 2019 | 2,310 ha | 24,700 ha | 27,000 ha |
| 2020 | 1,850 ha | 12,900 ha | 14,700 ha |
| 2021 | 2,170 ha | 11,600 ha | 13,800 ha |
| 2022 | 1,320 ha | 7,730 ha | 9,050 ha |
| 2023 | 1,640 ha | 8,500 ha | 10,100 ha |
| 2024 | 818 ha | 11,200 ha | 12,100 ha |
| 2025 | 800 ha | 8,720 ha | 9,520 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 10,900 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 13,900 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 27,000 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
What is causing deforestation in North Korea?
- Loggingcan grow back55% · 166,000 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back23% · 68,300 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good19% · 58,100 ha
Also: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, 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
North Korea as a whole
64.1% of North Korea 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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Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in North Korea
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 North Korea: your questions answered
What is the air quality in North Korea today?
Right now the 29 cities Airleaf measures in North Korea average AQI 84 (moderate). The worst air is in Kaech’ŏn, at AQI 177, and the cleanest in Hŭngnam, at AQI 52. 24% of the 29 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Which city in North Korea has the worst air right now?
Kaech’ŏn, at AQI 177 (Unhealthy) on the US EPA index. Everyone should limit long outdoor exertion; sensitive groups more so.
Which city in North Korea has the cleanest air right now?
Hŭngnam, at AQI 52 (Moderate). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever North Korea has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in North Korea safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 22 cities are Moderate, 4 cities are Unhealthy for sensitive groups, 3 cities are Unhealthy. At the national average of AQI 84: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has North Korea lost since 2001?
About 302,000 ha from 2001 to 2025, 6% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 61,000 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Which city in North Korea has the most trees?
Kanggye, with 34.1% tree cover within 2 km of its center, measured from Sentinel-2 satellite images.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in North Korea?
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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