Air quality
Air quality in Chongqing today
Updated
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (US AQI 113) People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should cut back on prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. Model estimate for Mon, Oct 26, 6:49 am (22:49 UTC).
Live AQI, PM2.5, PM10 and ozone for Chongqing, China, with a 48-hour forecast and the best time to be outside.
- US AQI now
- 113 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
- PM2.5
- 28 µg/m³ 1.9× WHO 24-h guideline
- PM10
- 28 µg/m³
- Ozone
- 0 µg/m³
Air quality in Chongqing right now
Right now the modelled US Air Quality Index for Chongqing, China is 113, which falls in the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" band (up to 150). People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should cut back on prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
PM2.5 is 28 µg/m³, 1.9 times the WHO 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³; PM10 is 28 µg/m³ against a guideline of 45; ozone is 0 µg/m³ (below the WHO 8-hour level of 100); nitrogen dioxide is 48 µg/m³ (above the 24-hour guideline of 25).
NASA FIRMS shows 3 fire hotspots within 300 km in the last day (nearest about 288 km), but particle levels are not elevated enough to point to smoke right now.
Chongqing vs the rest of China
Across 467 China cities we track, the average US AQI right now is 85 (Moderate). Chongqing at 113 is 28 points worse than average.
It ranks 387 of 467 from cleanest to most polluted; the cleanest is Baicheng (17) and the most polluted Artux (239).
For context, the median across 3,909 cities worldwide is 57.
Air quality in cities near Chongqing
| City | Distance | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banan | 20 km | 113 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 27.8 |
| Nanjin | 55 km | 91 | Moderate | 30.6 |
| Hechuan | 56 km | 91 | Moderate | 30.6 |
| Yangcheng | 57 km | 91 | Moderate | 30.6 |
| Baisha | 70 km | 82 | Moderate | 20.7 |
| Shima, Chongqing | 71 km | 95 | Moderate | 19.6 |
| Zhongshan, Chongqing | 81 km | 65 | Moderate | 19.1 |
| Lizhi | 82 km | 61 | Moderate | 17.1 |
Model vs measured
We found no measured PM2.5 sensor cell within 25 km of Chongqing, so the numbers on this page are model estimates. Models capture regional pollution well but can miss very local sources such as a busy road or a nearby fire.
Advice for sensitive groups
At 113, children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with asthma, COPD or heart disease should limit time outdoors, especially strenuous activity. A well-fitted N95/FFP2 mask cuts particle exposure; it does not filter ozone.
What the US AQI numbers mean
| US AQI | Category | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0-50 | Good | Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk; a good time for outdoor activity. |
| 51-100 | Moderate | Acceptable for most people. Unusually sensitive people should consider shortening long or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 101-150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should cut back on prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 151-200 | Unhealthy | Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed. |
| 201-300 | Very Unhealthy | Health alert: everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors, and sensitive groups should stay indoors. |
| 301-500 | Hazardous | Emergency conditions: everyone should avoid all outdoor physical activity and stay indoors with filtered air if possible. The scale tops out at 500; heavier dust or smoke is shown as 500. |
Values on this page are modelled by CAMS (Copernicus) and served by Open-Meteo; they are estimates for the area around the city centre, not readings from an official monitor.
Nearby cities
More for Chongqing
Air quality elsewhere
Data: Open-Meteo Air Quality API, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), NASA FIRMS.