City report · Johor, Malaysia
Johor Bahru Air quality today
Air quality in Johor Bahru currently reads AQI 72 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 72
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 20.4
- tree cover
- 22.3%
- trees in this area
- 58.2K
- more trees needed
- 20.1K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Aug 27, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Johor Bahru · AQI 72 (Moderate)
Johor Bahru's tree count comes to 58,218 trees across 10.45 km² of land, 8 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 20,102 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Johor Bahru today: AQI 72, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 12, 01:00 local time via World Air Quality Index Project ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Larkin Lama, Johor, Malaysia, 4 km away · median of 2 stations
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
20.4
PM10
34.5
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: World Air Quality Index Project, Malaysia Department of Environment (DOE); Air Polluant Index Management System, NEA - Singapore National Environment Agency
- Outdoor exercise
- Fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier
- Windows
- Fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution
- Mask
- Not needed for most people
- Air purifier
- Worth running if you are sensitive
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Johor Bahru's daily AQI at 56 on average, from 48 on Nov 7 to an hourly peak of 118 on Nov 6.
This is the US EPA AQI. How it differs from Malaysia's API (IPU) · The full guide
Where Johor Bahru stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Johor Bahru: Below target
22.3% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 10.45 km² of land.
Trees in this area
58,218
Target trees
78,320
More trees needed
20,102
CO₂ if planted / yr
442.2 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Johor Bahru lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Johor Bahru has lost about 1,970 hectares of forest (about 2,800 football pitches): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from March 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km southwest of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,970 haabout 2,800 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 27%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 1,970 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 80 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 97 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2018, when about 170 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 29 ha |
| 2002 | 83 ha | under 1 ha | 83 ha |
| 2003 | 31 ha | under 1 ha | 31 ha |
| 2004 | 91 ha | 3 ha | 93 ha |
| 2005 | 101 ha | under 1 ha | 101 ha |
| 2006 | 159 ha | 1 ha | 160 ha |
| 2007 | 36 ha | under 1 ha | 36 ha |
| 2008 | 23 ha | under 1 ha | 23 ha |
| 2009 | 145 ha | under 1 ha | 145 ha |
| 2010 | 38 ha | under 1 ha | 38 ha |
| 2011 | 24 ha | under 1 ha | 24 ha |
| 2012 | 92 ha | under 1 ha | 92 ha |
| 2013 | 28 ha | under 1 ha | 28 ha |
| 2014 | 134 ha | under 1 ha | 134 ha |
| 2015 | 70 ha | under 1 ha | 71 ha |
| 2016 | 73 ha | under 1 ha | 73 ha |
| 2017 | 91 ha | under 1 ha | 91 ha |
| 2018 | 169 ha | 1 ha | 170 ha |
| 2019 | 101 ha | under 1 ha | 101 ha |
| 2020 | 51 ha | under 1 ha | 52 ha |
| 2021 | 132 ha | under 1 ha | 132 ha |
| 2022 | 75 ha | 1 ha | 76 ha |
| 2023 | 83 ha | under 1 ha | 83 ha |
| 2024 | 41 ha | under 1 ha | 41 ha |
| 2025 | 68 ha | under 1 ha | 68 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Johor Bahru?
- Towns and roadscleared for good79% · 1,560 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good15% · 306 ha
- Mining and energycleared for good5.1% · 101 ha
Also: logging, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 9,340 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 8,800 ha
- Overall change
- −544 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Johor Bahru shrank from about 9,340 hectares to 8,800 hectares, a net loss of about 544 hectares (−5.8%). New forest grew on about 1,060 hectares, but 1,600 hectares were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
These figures cover everything within 10 km of the city center, a wider area than the report above, because forest is usually lost at a city's edges.
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. Forest gained and lost 2000–2020: Potapov et al. 2022, UMD GLAD Global Land Cover and Land Use Change, CC BY 4.0. Images: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data. How it's measured
In the same region
Measured cities near Johor Bahru
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Mukim Pulai12.6 km
Malaysia
- Tree cover
- 40%
- Air quality
- 77
- Ang Mo Kio New Town13.1 km
Singapore
- Tree cover
- 35%
- Air quality
- 67
- Jurong Town15.1 km
Singapore
- Tree cover
- 21%
- Air quality
- 76
- Pasir Gudang16.4 km
Malaysia
- Tree cover
- 24%
- Air quality
- 81
- Iskandar Puteri17.0 km
Malaysia
- Tree cover
- 53%
- Air quality
- 87
- Punggol17.5 km
Singapore
- Tree cover
- 19%
- Air quality
- 77
Also compared:Johor Bahru vs Kuala LumpurJohor Bahru vs IpohJohor Bahru vs MalaccaJohor Bahru vs Kota Bharu
Build your own
Compare Johor Bahru with anywhere
This place
Johor Bahru
Use this data
Put Johor Bahru's numbers on your site
Free to embed. Updates itself as the measurement refreshes.
Frequently asked
Questions about Johor Bahru
What is the air quality (AQI) in Johor Bahru right now?
The latest reading for Johor Bahru shows an AQI of 72 (Moderate), measured Nov 12, 01:00 local time by 2 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is Larkin Lama, Johor, Malaysia, 4 km away). The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Johor Bahru today?
At AQI 72 (Moderate): fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier. Windows: fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution. Masks: not needed for most people. The reading changes through the day, so check again before a long run or ride.
What has the air quality in Johor Bahru been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Johor Bahru's daily AQI at 56 on average, from 48 on Nov 7 to an hourly peak of 118 on Nov 6. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Is Johor Bahru's AQI the same as Malaysia's API (IPU)?
No. Airleaf shows the US EPA Air Quality Index (AQI), the scale used by IQAir and most air-quality apps. Malaysia's Department of Environment (Jabatan Alam Sekitar) publishes its own Air Pollutant Index, the API or Indeks Pencemar Udara (IPU), every hour for each of its monitoring stations on APIMS (apims.doe.gov.my). Both scales call 0–50 good and 51–100 moderate; above that the IPU runs 101–200 unhealthy, 201–300 very unhealthy and over 300 hazardous. The two use different breakpoints and averaging times, so the numbers for the same hour often differ. For the official IPU reading, check the nearest station on APIMS.
How much forest has the area around Johor Bahru lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Johor Bahru has lost about 1,970 hectares of forest (about 2,800 football pitches): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 80 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 97 hectares a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Johor Bahru shrank from about 9,340 hectares to 8,800 hectares, a net loss of about 544 hectares (−5.8%). New forest grew on about 1,060 hectares, but 1,600 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Johor Bahru?
Johor Bahru has an estimated 58,218 trees across the 10.45 km² of land measured — 22.3% tree cover, 8 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Johor Bahru need?
Johor Bahru needs roughly 20,102 more trees to close a 8-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 442.2 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Johor Bahru's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Bandar Johor Bahru, via OpenAQ; the 7-day trend is the Open-Meteo / CAMS model's estimate. Tree cover is measured from Sentinel-2 L2A (ESA Copernicus) via Earth Search satellite imagery at 10 m detail across a 2 km radius around Bandar Johor Bahru; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
See your own area
What does your neighborhood look like?
Pick any point and radius to get the same air-quality and tree-cover breakdown.
Check my address