City report · São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo Air quality today
Air quality in São Paulo currently reads AQI 59 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 59
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 13.5
- tree cover
- 10.6%
- trees in this area
- 32.4K
- more trees needed
- 59.4K
Measured across a 2 km radius around Triângulo Histórico - Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo - SP, Brazil (12.57 km²), from a satellite image of Sep 27, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
São Paulo · AQI 59 (Moderate)
São Paulo's tree count comes to 32,435 trees across 12.24 km² of land, 19 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 59,362 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in São Paulo today: AQI 59, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 12:00 local time via World Air Quality Index Project ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Parque D.Pedro II, São Paulo, Brazil, 900 m away · median of 4 stations
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
13.5
PM10
45.4
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: World Air Quality Index Project, CETESB - Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo
- 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 São Paulo's daily AQI at 60 on average, from 30 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 106 on Nov 5.
Where São Paulo stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in São Paulo: Critically low
10.6% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 12.24 km² of land.
Trees in this area
32,435
Target trees
91,797
More trees needed
59,362
CO₂ if planted / yr
1,306 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has São Paulo lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of São Paulo has lost about 30 hectares of forest (about 42 football pitches): 5.8% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (64%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from June 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 30 haabout 42 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 5.8%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 19 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2005, when about 11 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 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2005 | 10 ha | under 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2007 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 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 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2017 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 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 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 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 | 9 ha | 9 ha |
What is causing deforestation around São Paulo?
- Towns and roadscleared for good63% · 19 ha
- Unknown causescause unknown36% · 11 ha
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
- 1,710 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 2,180 ha
- Overall change
- +462 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around São Paulo grew from about 1,710 hectares to 2,180 hectares, a net gain of about 462 hectares (+27%). New forest grew on about 475 hectares, while 14 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 São Paulo
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- São Caetano do Sul12.1 km
Brazil
- Tree cover
- 12%
- Air quality
- 46
- Guarulhos14.1 km
Brazil
- Tree cover
- 12%
- Air quality
- 66
- Osasco15.9 km
Brazil
- Tree cover
- 13%
- Air quality
- 42
- São Bernardo do Campo17.8 km
Brazil
- Tree cover
- 16%
- Air quality
- 40
- Taboão da Serra18.1 km
Brazil
- Tree cover
- 18%
- Air quality
- 51
- Mauá22.3 km
Brazil
- Tree cover
- 22%
- Air quality
- 46
Also compared:São Paulo vs BrasíliaSão Paulo vs Rio de JaneiroSão Paulo vs Belo HorizonteSão Paulo vs Salvador
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Frequently asked
Questions about São Paulo
What is the air quality (AQI) in São Paulo right now?
The latest reading for São Paulo shows an AQI of 59 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 12:00 local time by 4 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is Parque D.Pedro II, São Paulo, Brazil, 900 m away). The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in São Paulo today?
At AQI 59 (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 São Paulo been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put São Paulo's daily AQI at 60 on average, from 30 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 106 on Nov 5. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around São Paulo lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of São Paulo has lost about 30 hectares of forest (about 42 football pitches): 5.8% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (64%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around São Paulo grew from about 1,710 hectares to 2,180 hectares, a net gain of about 462 hectares (+27%). New forest grew on about 475 hectares, while 14 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in São Paulo?
São Paulo has an estimated 32,435 trees across the 12.24 km² of land measured — 10.6% tree cover, 19 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does São Paulo need?
São Paulo needs roughly 59,362 more trees to close a 19-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 1,306 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are São Paulo's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Triângulo Histórico - Centro Histórico de São Paulo, via OpenAQ; the 7-day trend is the Open-Meteo / CAMS model's estimate. 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 Triângulo Histórico - Centro Histórico de São Paulo; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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