Chile · Santiago Metropolitan · 8 cities
Air quality in Santiago Metropolitan today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Puente Alto has the cleanest air of the 8 cities we track in Santiago Metropolitan (AQI 58, Moderate), and San Bernardo the worst (AQI 70, Moderate). Peñalolén has the most tree cover, at 17.5% — #7 of 30 cities measured in Chile.
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 64
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 8
- average tree cover
- 9.2%
- Chile: 13.0%
- worst air now: San Bernardo
- 70
- cleanest air now: Puente Alto
- 58
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Santiago Metropolitan · average AQI 64
Air quality today across Santiago Metropolitan, city by city
| Santiago | 64Moderate | 8.8% | 66.5K | #17 of 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puente Alto | 58Moderate | 7.9% | 69.4K | #19 of 30 |
| Maipú | 70Moderate | 8.4% | 67.9K | #18 of 30 |
| San Bernardo | 70Moderate | 6.8% | 72.9K | #21 of 30 |
| Peñalolén | 58Moderate | 17.5% | 39.3K | #7 of 30 |
| Quilicura | 62Moderate | 6.0% | 75.4K | #24 of 30 |
| Colina | 65Moderate | 6.6% | 73.5K | #22 of 30 |
| Lampa | 65Moderate | 11.3% | 58.7K | #13 of 30 |
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 Chile.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Santiago Metropolitan lost?
Since 2001, Santiago Metropolitan has lost about 22,600 hectares of forest (about 32,000 football pitches): 10% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 3,690 hectares (16%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 22,600 haabout 32,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 10%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 3,690 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 | 155 ha | 48 ha | 203 ha |
| 2002 | 316 ha | 273 ha | 589 ha |
| 2003 | 225 ha | 164 ha | 389 ha |
| 2004 | 152 ha | 216 ha | 368 ha |
| 2005 | 279 ha | 581 ha | 860 ha |
| 2006 | 214 ha | 127 ha | 341 ha |
| 2007 | 284 ha | 167 ha | 451 ha |
| 2008 | 202 ha | 348 ha | 550 ha |
| 2009 | 167 ha | 792 ha | 959 ha |
| 2010 | 321 ha | 824 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2011 | 115 ha | 350 ha | 465 ha |
| 2012 | 147 ha | 370 ha | 517 ha |
| 2013 | 101 ha | 44 ha | 145 ha |
| 2014 | 167 ha | 3,210 ha | 3,380 ha |
| 2015 | 75 ha | 64 ha | 139 ha |
| 2016 | 308 ha | 196 ha | 504 ha |
| 2017 | 158 ha | 8,730 ha | 8,890 ha |
| 2018 | 45 ha | 110 ha | 155 ha |
| 2019 | 25 ha | 166 ha | 191 ha |
| 2020 | 40 ha | 527 ha | 567 ha |
| 2021 | 52 ha | 181 ha | 233 ha |
| 2022 | 57 ha | 222 ha | 279 ha |
| 2023 | 35 ha | 930 ha | 965 ha |
| 2024 | 25 ha | 182 ha | 207 ha |
| 2025 | 21 ha | 50 ha | 71 ha |
Forest loss is slowing down: about 351 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 2,060 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 8,890 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
What is causing deforestation in Santiago Metropolitan?
- Wildfirescan grow back78% · 17,500 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good15% · 3,460 ha
- Loggingcan grow back4.3% · 972 ha
Also: mining and energy, towns and roads, 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.
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
Other regions in Chile
Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in Santiago Metropolitan
Picked by tested clean-air delivery rate (CADR), noise and running cost, from independent test labels. No brand pays to be listed.
- The best air purifiers for wildfire smoke and smog
Air purifiers that keep up with wildfire smoke and winter smog, ranked by verified smoke CADR, with the room each one clears on a smoky day.
- The best air purifiers for bedrooms: quiet picks sized for your room
Quiet HEPA air purifiers for bedrooms, compared on what matters at night: noise on the lowest setting (from 20 dB), verified room size and filter cost.
- The best air purifiers under $200
Good HEPA air purifiers under $200 at the makers' own prices, compared on verified clean air, room size and what the filters cost each year.
Your own street