Juba
2 km around Ministries
Air quality now
AQI 61
8.6%
tree cover
67.2K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Africa · air quality report · 5 cities
South Sudan air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in South Sudan average AQI 72 (moderate). The worst air is in Malakal, at AQI 87, and the cleanest in Juba, at AQI 61.
None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today.
Average right now
AQI 72
Moderate
US EPA index, across 5 cities
- cities measured
- 5
- worst air: Malakal
- 87
- cleanest air: Juba
- 61
- average tree cover
- 16.5%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
South Sudan · average AQI 72
Air quality right now in all 5 cities in South Sudan
Moderate
Winejok
2 km around Aweil East
Air quality now
AQI 86
4.7%
tree cover
79.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Yei
2 km around Yei
Air quality now
AQI 62
34.4%
tree cover
Healthy tree cover
Malakal
2 km around Malakal
Air quality now
AQI 87
12.1%
tree cover
52.6K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Wau
2 km around Wau
Air quality now
AQI 63
22.5%
tree cover
23.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across South Sudan today?
None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
5 measured cities
- Moderate5 (100%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
Against everywhere else
How does South Sudan compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of South Sudan average cleaner air than 24% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 35%.
Cleaner air than…
- South Sudan
- Beats 24%
More tree cover than…
- South Sudan
- Beats 35%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has South Sudan lost?
Since 2001, South Sudan has lost about 155,000 hectares of forest (about 220,000 football pitches): 1.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (57%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 155,000 haabout 220,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 1.3%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 88,800 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 | 2,750 ha | 2,180 ha | 4,930 ha |
| 2002 | 4,660 ha | 3,560 ha | 8,230 ha |
| 2003 | 1,290 ha | 787 ha | 2,070 ha |
| 2004 | 6,360 ha | 4,130 ha | 10,500 ha |
| 2005 | 6,650 ha | 3,960 ha | 10,600 ha |
| 2006 | 5,340 ha | 3,670 ha | 9,000 ha |
| 2007 | 6,060 ha | 3,510 ha | 9,570 ha |
| 2008 | 6,010 ha | 3,080 ha | 9,080 ha |
| 2009 | 4,810 ha | 3,290 ha | 8,100 ha |
| 2010 | 2,730 ha | 1,140 ha | 3,870 ha |
| 2011 | 6,030 ha | 3,030 ha | 9,060 ha |
| 2012 | 4,100 ha | 2,650 ha | 6,760 ha |
| 2013 | 2,330 ha | 2,670 ha | 5,000 ha |
| 2014 | 3,070 ha | 3,800 ha | 6,870 ha |
| 2015 | 1,380 ha | 1,150 ha | 2,530 ha |
| 2016 | 2,170 ha | 2,020 ha | 4,200 ha |
| 2017 | 3,830 ha | 3,310 ha | 7,140 ha |
| 2018 | 1,380 ha | 1,460 ha | 2,840 ha |
| 2019 | 2,470 ha | 1,490 ha | 3,960 ha |
| 2020 | 1,200 ha | 1,290 ha | 2,490 ha |
| 2021 | 1,700 ha | 1,500 ha | 3,210 ha |
| 2022 | 2,010 ha | 1,770 ha | 3,780 ha |
| 2023 | 3,640 ha | 3,080 ha | 6,720 ha |
| 2024 | 3,030 ha | 2,910 ha | 5,930 ha |
| 2025 | 3,820 ha | 4,990 ha | 8,820 ha |
Forest loss is speeding up: about 5,690 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 4,130 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2005, when about 10,600 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in South Sudan?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good54% · 83,300 ha
- Shifting farmingcan grow back33% · 51,400 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good3.5% · 5,390 ha
Also: storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires, logging, mining and energy, 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
South Sudan as a whole
11.3% of South Sudan was forested as of 2024, against a 30% benchmark. Closing that gap nationally would take roughly 11.8B trees across 11.8M hectares. Source: World Bank (FAO).
Build your own
Compare South Sudan with another country
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South Sudan
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in South Sudan
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 South Sudan: your questions answered
What is the air quality in South Sudan today?
Right now the 5 cities Airleaf measures in South Sudan average AQI 72 (moderate). The worst air is in Malakal, at AQI 87, and the cleanest in Juba, at AQI 61. None of the 5 measured cities is over AQI 100 today.
Which city in South Sudan has the worst air right now?
Malakal, at AQI 87 (Moderate) on the US EPA index. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Which city in South Sudan has the cleanest air right now?
Juba, at AQI 61 (Moderate). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever South Sudan has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in South Sudan safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 5 cities are Moderate. At the national average of AQI 72: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has South Sudan lost since 2001?
About 155,000 ha from 2001 to 2025, 1% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 88,800 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in South Sudan?
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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