City report · South Pyongan, North Korea
P’yŏngsŏng Air quality today
Air quality in P’yŏngsŏng currently reads AQI 139 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups): Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
AQI 139
Air quality right now
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 55.2
- tree cover
- 31.3%
- trees in this area
- 98.3K
- more trees needed
- 11.6K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Pyŏngsŏng, South Pyongan, North Korea (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 26, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
P’yŏngsŏng · AQI 139 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)
P’yŏngsŏng's tree count comes to 98,332 trees across 12.57 km², 4 points below the 35% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 11,624 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in P’yŏngsŏng today: AQI 139, Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 19:00 local time via Open-Meteo / CAMS, corrected with 3 ground-station cities within 165 km, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Estimate · model corrected with 3 station cities within 165 km, e.g. Kaesŏng and Sinuiju
Health signal
Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
PM2.5
55.2
PM10
37.8
NO₂
17.2
O₃
43.0
SO₂
15.9
CO
536.0
- Outdoor exercise
- Children, older adults and people with asthma or heart disease should cut down long or hard exercise
- Windows
- Close them to keep the outside air out
- Mask
- Sensitive groups: an N95 outdoors
- Air purifier
- Run one, especially in bedrooms
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put P’yŏngsŏng's daily AQI at 65 on average, from 41 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 130 on Nov 11.
Where P’yŏngsŏng stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in P’yŏngsŏng: Below target
31.3% tree cover against a 35% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.57 km².
Trees in this area
98,332
Target trees
109,956
More trees needed
11,624
CO₂ if planted / yr
255.7 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has P’yŏngsŏng lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of P’yŏngsŏng has lost about 448 hectares of forest (about 630 football pitches): 8.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. Almost none of it was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good.
2017: satellite photo from June 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 448 haabout 630 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 8.9%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- under 1 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2006, when about 258 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | under 1 ha | 9 ha | 9 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | 11 ha | 11 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | 5 ha | 5 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 2 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 258 ha | 258 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | 8 ha | 8 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | 23 ha | 23 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | 31 ha | 31 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | 75 ha | 75 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | 10 ha | 10 ha |
| 2012 | under 1 ha | 4 ha | 4 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 | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2017 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 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 | 1 ha | 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 | 2 ha | 2 ha |
What is causing deforestation around P’yŏngsŏng?
- Loggingcan grow back62% · 278 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back36% · 163 ha
- Unknown causescause unknown1.5% · 7 ha
Also: towns and roads.
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
- 6,980 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 7,290 ha
- Overall change
- +316 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around P’yŏngsŏng grew from about 6,980 hectares to 7,290 hectares, a net gain of about 316 hectares (+4.5%). New forest grew on about 436 hectares, while 121 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 P’yŏngsŏng
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Sunch’ŏn21.3 km
North Korea
- Tree cover
- 19%
- Air quality
- 156
- Pyongyang25.7 km
North Korea
- Tree cover
- 24%
- Air quality
- 80
- Paek'ak33.2 km
North Korea
- Tree cover
- 5%
- Air quality
- 97
- Man’gyŏngdae-ri33.8 km
North Korea
- Tree cover
- 30%
- Air quality
- 72
- Kangsŏn42.6 km
North Korea
- Tree cover
- 33%
- Air quality
- 72
- Kaech’ŏn50.5 km
North Korea
- Tree cover
- 14%
- Air quality
- 173
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Frequently asked
Questions about P’yŏngsŏng
What is the air quality (AQI) in P’yŏngsŏng right now?
The latest reading for P’yŏngsŏng shows an AQI of 139 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups), observed Nov 11, 19:00 local time via Open-Meteo / CAMS, corrected with 3 ground-station cities within 165 km, US EPA index. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
Is it safe to exercise outside in P’yŏngsŏng today?
At AQI 139 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups): children, older adults and people with asthma or heart disease should cut down long or hard exercise. Windows: close them to keep the outside air out. Masks: sensitive groups: an N95 outdoors. The reading changes through the day, so check again before a long run or ride.
What has the air quality in P’yŏngsŏng been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put P’yŏngsŏng's daily AQI at 65 on average, from 41 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 130 on Nov 11. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around P’yŏngsŏng lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of P’yŏngsŏng has lost about 448 hectares of forest (about 630 football pitches): 8.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. Almost none of it was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around P’yŏngsŏng grew from about 6,980 hectares to 7,290 hectares, a net gain of about 316 hectares (+4.5%). New forest grew on about 436 hectares, while 121 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in P’yŏngsŏng?
P’yŏngsŏng has an estimated 98,332 trees across the 12.57 km² measured — 31.3% tree cover, 4 percentage points short of the 35% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does P’yŏngsŏng need?
P’yŏngsŏng needs roughly 11,624 more trees to close a 4-point shortfall against its 35% tree-cover target — about 255.7 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are P’yŏngsŏng'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 Pyŏngsŏng; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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