City report · Zambia
Ndola Air quality today
Air quality in Ndola currently reads AQI 58 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 58
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 11.8
- tree cover
- 22.8%
- trees in this area
- 71.6K
- more trees needed
- 22.6K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Northrise, Ndola, Zambia (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 17, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Ndola · AQI 58 (Moderate)
Ndola's tree count comes to 71,628 trees across 12.57 km², 7 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 22,619 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Ndola today: AQI 58, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 08:00 local time via Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Model estimate · no ground station nearby
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
11.8
PM10
14.4
NO₂
0.9
O₃
60.0
SO₂
1.6
CO
170.0
- 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 Ndola's daily AQI at 67 on average, from 55 on Nov 10 to an hourly peak of 84 on Nov 6.
Where Ndola stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Ndola: Below target
22.8% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².
Trees in this area
71,628
Target trees
94,247
More trees needed
22,619
CO₂ if planted / yr
497.6 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Ndola lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Ndola has lost about 2,860 hectares of forest (about 4,000 football pitches): 67% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 278 hectares (9.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
2017: satellite photo from September 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 5 km west of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2,860 haabout 4,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 67%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 278 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2012, when about 1,150 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 | 2 ha | 2 ha | 3 ha |
| 2002 | 10 ha | 4 ha | 14 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 | 2 ha | 8 ha | 10 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2008 | 2 ha | 76 ha | 77 ha |
| 2009 | 43 ha | 109 ha | 152 ha |
| 2010 | 11 ha | 774 ha | 785 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | 34 ha | 34 ha |
| 2012 | 8 ha | 1,140 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2013 | 3 ha | 401 ha | 404 ha |
| 2014 | 6 ha | 4 ha | 10 ha |
| 2015 | 13 ha | under 1 ha | 14 ha |
| 2016 | 57 ha | 2 ha | 59 ha |
| 2017 | 63 ha | under 1 ha | 63 ha |
| 2018 | 41 ha | under 1 ha | 41 ha |
| 2019 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2020 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2021 | 1 ha | 4 ha | 5 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | 5 ha | 5 ha |
| 2023 | 1 ha | 4 ha | 5 ha |
| 2024 | 4 ha | 8 ha | 12 ha |
| 2025 | 4 ha | 1 ha | 5 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Ndola?
- Loggingcan grow back90% · 2,580 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good7.8% · 223 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good1.7% · 50 ha
Also: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, 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
- 4,160 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 2,580 ha
- Overall change
- −1,580 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Ndola shrank from about 4,160 hectares to 2,580 hectares, a net loss of about 1,580 hectares (−38%). New forest grew on about 766 hectares, but 2,340 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 Ndola
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Kalulushi60.2 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 26%
- Air quality
- 54
- Mufulira62.5 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 20%
- Air quality
- 47
- Chingola94.6 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 17%
- Air quality
- 52
- Chililabombwe110.2 km
Zambia
- Tree cover
- 9%
- Air quality
- 52
Also compared:Ndola vs LusakaNdola vs Chipata
Build your own
Compare Ndola with anywhere
This place
Ndola
Use this data
Put Ndola's numbers on your site
Free to embed. Updates itself as the measurement refreshes.
Frequently asked
Questions about Ndola
What is the air quality (AQI) in Ndola right now?
The latest reading for Ndola shows an AQI of 58 (Moderate), observed Nov 11, 08:00 local time via Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Ndola today?
At AQI 58 (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 Ndola been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Ndola's daily AQI at 67 on average, from 55 on Nov 10 to an hourly peak of 84 on Nov 6. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Ndola lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Ndola has lost about 2,860 hectares of forest (about 4,000 football pitches): 67% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 278 hectares (9.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Ndola shrank from about 4,160 hectares to 2,580 hectares, a net loss of about 1,580 hectares (−38%). New forest grew on about 766 hectares, but 2,340 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Ndola?
Ndola has an estimated 71,628 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 22.8% tree cover, 7 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Ndola need?
Ndola needs roughly 22,619 more trees to close a 7-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 497.6 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Ndola's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality comes from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where one reports nearby, and otherwise, as here, from the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, which may differ from street-level monitors. 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 Northrise; 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