City report · England, United Kingdom
London Air quality today
Air quality in London currently reads AQI 68 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 68
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 18.0
- tree cover
- 18.4%
- trees in this area
- 53.1K
- more trees needed
- 33.5K
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around London, UK (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Aug 25, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
London · AQI 68 (Moderate)
London's tree count comes to 53,065 trees across 4.5 sq mi (11.54 km²) of land, 12 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 33,454 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in London today: AQI 68, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 14:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Wandsworth - Battersea, 2.1 mi (3.3 km) away · median of 15 stations
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
18.0
PM10
22.6
NO₂
26.3
O₃
32.8
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · DEFRA, London Air Quality Network
- 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 London's daily AQI at 79 on average, from 53 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 126 on Nov 6.
This is the US EPA AQI. How it differs from the UK's Daily Air Quality Index
Where London stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
City air guide
What causes air pollution in London?
Right now
- Today's AQI in London is 68, moderate, mostly from PM2.5.
- Over the past 7 days, the daily average was 79.
Road traffic is the biggest single source of London's fine particle pollution (PM2.5), at 30% of emissions in 2022, followed by wood burning in homes at 16% [1]. Traffic is also the main source of nitrogen oxides, which have fallen fast since the Ultra Low Emission Zone began, but in 2022 every school in London was still above the World Health Organization's guideline for nitrogen dioxide [1].
Where does London's pollution come from?
For fine particles (PM2.5), road transport is the largest single source at 30% of London's emissions, and domestic wood burning comes second at 16% [1]. For coarser particles (PM10), construction is now the largest source [1].
Not all of it is made in London. Particle levels depend heavily on the weather and on pollution blown in from elsewhere, including continental Europe, which is why local traffic rules move them less than they move nitrogen dioxide [1].
Is London's air getting cleaner?
Yes. Between 2019 and 2022, nitrogen oxide emissions from London's road traffic fell by 28%, after a 31% fall between 2016 and 2019, and total PM2.5 emissions fell by 8% [1]. The inventory credits policies aimed at vehicle exhaust, such as the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which has covered all of London since August 2023 [1].
Road traffic's nitrogen oxide emissions are forecast to fall another 39% by 2025, compared with 2022 [1].
How does London compare with the WHO's guidelines?
For PM2.5, most of London met the WHO's interim target of 10 µg/m³ in 2022, but central London didn't, and the city is still far from the WHO's guideline of 5 µg/m³ [1].
For nitrogen dioxide, every school and college in London was above the WHO's guideline of 10 µg/m³ in 2022, though all were within the UK's legal limit of 40 µg/m³ [1].
How to protect yourself in London
Traffic pollution is worst right beside busy roads, so walk or cycle along quieter back streets where you can, and keep children's play away from main roads at rush hour.
On days when the AQI is high, keep windows on the street side shut and run a HEPA air purifier in the room you use most. Don't add to it indoors: an open fire or a wood burner adds fine particles to your own air as well as your neighbours'.
Sources
- [1] Greater London Authority, London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory 2022 Update: Summary Note (May 2026)
Last reviewed . The figures in the box at the top update with every new reading; the guide itself is checked against its sources at least once a year, before the city's bad-air season.
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in London: Below target
18.4% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.5 sq mi (11.54 km²) of land.
Trees in this area
53,065
Target trees
86,519
More trees needed
33,454
CO₂ if planted / yr
736.0 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has London lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of London has lost about 9 hectares of forest (about 13 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was towns and roads (8.9%). Almost none of it was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good.
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 9 haabout 13 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- under 1%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- under 1 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2008, when about 3 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 | under 1 ha | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2013 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2014 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2017 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2018 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2020 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2021 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2023 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2024 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
What is causing deforestation around London?
- Towns and roadscleared for good8.9% · under 1 ha
- Unknown causescause unknown93% · 8 ha
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
- 10,200 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 11,000 ha
- Overall change
- +772 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around London grew from about 10,200 hectares to 11,000 hectares, a net gain of about 772 hectares (+7.6%). New forest grew on about 828 hectares, while 56 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 London
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Barking14.9 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 16%
- Air quality
- 86
- Harrow16.2 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 29%
- Air quality
- 59
- Enfield Town16.3 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 31%
- Air quality
- 82
- Sutton18.2 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 45%
- Air quality
- 71
- Bexley20.5 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 40%
- Air quality
- 114
- Watford24.8 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 30%
- Air quality
- 61
Also compared:London vs ManchesterLondon vs BirminghamLondon vs GlasgowLondon vs SheffieldLondon vs Cambridge
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Frequently asked
Questions about London
What is the air quality (AQI) in London right now?
The latest reading for London shows an AQI of 68 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 14:00 local time by 15 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is Wandsworth - Battersea, 2.1 mi (3.3 km) away). The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in London today?
At AQI 68 (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 London been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put London's daily AQI at 79 on average, from 53 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 126 on Nov 6. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
What is the main cause of air pollution in London?
Road traffic. In 2022 it was the largest single source of fine particles (30% of PM2.5 emissions) and the main source of nitrogen oxides. Domestic wood burning was the second-largest source of PM2.5, at 16%.
Has the ULEZ improved London's air?
London's inventory credits the ULEZ and other vehicle policies with a 28% fall in road traffic's nitrogen oxide emissions between 2019 and 2022, and forecasts a further 39% fall by 2025.
Does London meet the WHO air quality guidelines?
Not yet. In 2022, every London school was above the WHO's guideline for nitrogen dioxide, and the city was well above the WHO's PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m³, though most of it met the interim target of 10 µg/m³.
Is London's AQI the same as the UK's Daily Air Quality Index?
No. Airleaf shows the US EPA Air Quality Index (AQI), the scale used by IQAir and most air-quality apps. The UK's Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI), published by Defra, runs from 1 to 10: 1–3 low, 4–6 moderate, 7–9 high and 10 very high. It is a different scale altogether, so a US AQI figure can't be read on it directly; both, though, are built from the same main pollutants, with fine particles (PM2.5) usually the one that decides the reading.
How much forest has the area around London lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of London has lost about 9 hectares of forest (about 13 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was towns and roads (8.9%). Almost none of it was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around London grew from about 10,200 hectares to 11,000 hectares, a net gain of about 772 hectares (+7.6%). New forest grew on about 828 hectares, while 56 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in London?
London has an estimated 53,065 trees across the 4.5 sq mi (11.54 km²) of land measured — 18.4% tree cover, 12 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does London need?
London needs roughly 33,454 more trees to close a 12-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 736.0 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are London's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near London, 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 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around London; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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