China · Hunan · 22 cities
Air quality in Hunan today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Guankou has the cleanest air of the 22 cities we track in Hunan (AQI 47, Good), and Shaoyang the worst (AQI 142, Unhealthy for sensitive groups). Fenghuang has the most tree cover, at 80.9% — #1 of 639 cities measured in China.
Every city is measured the same way, over the same 2 km around its center: the air quality right now, from ground stations where there are any, and its tree cover.
Average right now
AQI 93
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 22
- average tree cover
- 32.2%
- China: 22.9%
- worst air now: Shaoyang
- 142
- cleanest air now: Guankou
- 47
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Hunan · average AQI 93
Air quality today across Hunan, city by city
| Changsha | 109Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 18.1% | 40.4K | #359 of 639 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changde | 95Moderate | 25.7% | 11.5K | #218 of 639 |
| Guankou | 47Good | 15.5% | 45.1K | #419 of 639 |
| Heshan | 88Moderate | 28.4% | 5.0K | #167 of 639 |
| Zhuzhou | 133Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 18.5% | 43.3K | #353 of 639 |
| Hengyang | 107Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 19.3% | 42.5K | #334 of 639 |
| Yongzhou | 134Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 28.5% | 17.2K | #163 of 639 |
| Yueyang | 119Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 25.3% | 23.2K | #222 of 639 |
| Xiangtan | 106Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 30.1% | 12.4K | #147 of 639 |
| Chenzhou | 96Moderate | 32.3% | — | #127 of 639 |
| Shaoyang | 142Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 19.0% | 45.7K | #342 of 639 |
| Huaihua | 87Moderate | 38.6% | — | #76 of 639 |
| Loudi | 118Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 15.2% | 61.8K | #423 of 639 |
| Hongjiang | 54Moderate | 73.7% | — | #4 of 639 |
| Zhangjiajie | 82Moderate | 35.6% | — | #103 of 639 |
| Fenghuang | 105Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 80.9% | — | #1 of 639 |
| Xiangxiang | 59Moderate | 17.8% | 36.3K | #364 of 639 |
| Lengshuijiang | 83Moderate | 31.7% | — | #132 of 639 |
| Wugang | 73Moderate | 15.2% | 46.3K | #421 of 639 |
| Leiyang | 57Moderate | 21.4% | 24.9K | #283 of 639 |
| Shaoshan | 77Moderate | 64.1% | — | #12 of 639 |
| Jishou | 65Moderate | 52.5% | — | #30 of 639 |
Air quality is the US AQI from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where available, otherwise the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, refreshed hourly. Tree cover is measured within 2 km of each city center from Sentinel-2 imagery; the rank compares every city measured in China.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Hunan lost?
Since 2001, Hunan has lost about 853,000 hectares of forest (about 8,500 km²): 8.6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 147,000 hectares (17%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 853,000 haabout 8,500 km²
- Share of its forest
- 8.6%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 147,000 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 | 1,770 ha | 14,500 ha | 16,300 ha |
| 2002 | 991 ha | 9,170 ha | 10,200 ha |
| 2003 | 1,220 ha | 6,630 ha | 7,850 ha |
| 2004 | 3,710 ha | 26,200 ha | 29,900 ha |
| 2005 | 3,040 ha | 24,800 ha | 27,800 ha |
| 2006 | 2,540 ha | 24,500 ha | 27,100 ha |
| 2007 | 5,230 ha | 41,100 ha | 46,300 ha |
| 2008 | 4,960 ha | 48,000 ha | 53,000 ha |
| 2009 | 5,700 ha | 35,100 ha | 40,800 ha |
| 2010 | 7,170 ha | 41,600 ha | 48,800 ha |
| 2011 | 6,760 ha | 32,600 ha | 39,400 ha |
| 2012 | 7,720 ha | 49,100 ha | 56,800 ha |
| 2013 | 5,120 ha | 31,600 ha | 36,700 ha |
| 2014 | 3,460 ha | 24,300 ha | 27,800 ha |
| 2015 | 5,860 ha | 29,100 ha | 35,000 ha |
| 2016 | 10,400 ha | 33,600 ha | 44,100 ha |
| 2017 | 9,050 ha | 24,600 ha | 33,700 ha |
| 2018 | 9,920 ha | 24,200 ha | 34,100 ha |
| 2019 | 6,700 ha | 17,700 ha | 24,400 ha |
| 2020 | 6,620 ha | 15,900 ha | 22,600 ha |
| 2021 | 5,900 ha | 21,000 ha | 26,900 ha |
| 2022 | 6,400 ha | 23,900 ha | 30,300 ha |
| 2023 | 6,460 ha | 31,000 ha | 37,400 ha |
| 2024 | 11,100 ha | 42,100 ha | 53,200 ha |
| 2025 | 8,840 ha | 34,000 ha | 42,900 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 38,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 31,800 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 56,800 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Hunan?
- Loggingcan grow back81% · 691,000 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good8.6% · 73,200 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good6.6% · 56,500 ha
Also: mining and energy, wildfires, storms, floods and other natural causes, shifting farming, 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
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Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Hunan
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