Poland · Silesia · 10 cities
Air quality in Silesia today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Rybnik has the cleanest air of the 10 cities we track in Silesia (AQI 79, Moderate), and Dąbrowa Górnicza the worst (AQI 115, Unhealthy for sensitive groups). Ruda Śląska has the most tree cover, at 56.7% — #3 of 39 cities measured in Poland.
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 101
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
- cities tracked
- 10
- average tree cover
- 41.6%
- Poland: 37.6%
- worst air now: Dąbrowa Górnicza
- 115
- cleanest air now: Rybnik
- 79
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Silesia · average AQI 101
Air quality today across Silesia, city by city
| Katowice | 115Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 27.3% | 24.0K | #36 of 39 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Częstochowa | 98Moderate | 31.2% | — | #28 of 39 |
| Gliwice | 90Moderate | 43.5% | — | #8 of 39 |
| Zabrze | 108Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 42.4% | — | #14 of 39 |
| Bytom | 101Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 43.0% | — | #11 of 39 |
| Bielsko-Biala | 84Moderate | 42.4% | — | #13 of 39 |
| Ruda Śląska | 108Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 56.7% | — | #3 of 39 |
| Rybnik | 79Moderate | 41.6% | — | #15 of 39 |
| Tychy | 115Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 44.2% | — | #6 of 39 |
| Dąbrowa Górnicza | 115Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 43.9% | — | #7 of 39 |
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 Poland.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Silesia lost?
Since 2001, Silesia has lost about 75,700 hectares of forest (about 110,000 football pitches): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,240 hectares (4.3%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 75,700 haabout 110,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 15%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 3,240 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 | 41 ha | 331 ha | 371 ha |
| 2002 | 73 ha | 2,100 ha | 2,170 ha |
| 2003 | 24 ha | 623 ha | 647 ha |
| 2004 | 33 ha | 572 ha | 605 ha |
| 2005 | 185 ha | 8,240 ha | 8,420 ha |
| 2006 | 82 ha | 870 ha | 952 ha |
| 2007 | 118 ha | 3,100 ha | 3,220 ha |
| 2008 | 160 ha | 4,770 ha | 4,930 ha |
| 2009 | 140 ha | 1,680 ha | 1,820 ha |
| 2010 | 198 ha | 5,210 ha | 5,410 ha |
| 2011 | 141 ha | 3,090 ha | 3,230 ha |
| 2012 | 154 ha | 2,360 ha | 2,510 ha |
| 2013 | 84 ha | 1,500 ha | 1,590 ha |
| 2014 | 146 ha | 3,860 ha | 4,000 ha |
| 2015 | 98 ha | 1,580 ha | 1,680 ha |
| 2016 | 224 ha | 4,030 ha | 4,260 ha |
| 2017 | 188 ha | 4,140 ha | 4,330 ha |
| 2018 | 191 ha | 3,500 ha | 3,700 ha |
| 2019 | 90 ha | 2,350 ha | 2,440 ha |
| 2020 | 144 ha | 3,490 ha | 3,640 ha |
| 2021 | 121 ha | 3,440 ha | 3,560 ha |
| 2022 | 207 ha | 3,200 ha | 3,410 ha |
| 2023 | 168 ha | 2,970 ha | 3,140 ha |
| 2024 | 132 ha | 2,740 ha | 2,870 ha |
| 2025 | 98 ha | 2,700 ha | 2,800 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 3,160 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 3,670 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2005, when about 8,420 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Silesia?
- Loggingcan grow back95% · 72,000 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good3.5% · 2,620 ha
Also: mining and energy, farms, pasture and plantations, 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
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