Loading city data and charts...
Loading city data and charts...
China · Tier 2
3,583 days · 2016–2026 · 5 sensors
High confidenceSeasonal historical data — not for today's readings. For current air quality: IQAir ↗ · Methodology →
Independent modelled estimate for reference. Our data uses station sensors which may cover different years and locations. Methodology →
Berkeley Earth conversion: 22.0 µg/m³ PM2.5 ≈ 1 cigarette/day. This compares population-level mortality risk, not individual clinical outcomes. Acute vs chronic exposure differs significantly.
AQLI methodology: each 10 µg/m³ PM2.5 above WHO baseline (5.0 µg/m³) ≈ 0.98 years of life expectancy lost. Calculated from annual mean PM2.5 (long-term exposure), not annual median.
24-hour pattern from the most recent 7 days of hourly data. Dimmed arcs are unsafe for the selected activity.
This is a short-term trend view (not live minute-by-minute monitoring).
How does the air here compare to other health risks — and to peer cities?
Every day of the year, colored by PM2.5 air quality band.
The baseline view is No mask. You can switch to Surgical, KN95, or N95 to see a planning range for mask-adjusted exposure. Smoking-aware mode is optional and off by default.
Data-backed city context for Beijing, with practical interpretation.
District heating systems burning coal under winter temperature inversions
Affects: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
Gobi Desert dust mobilised by spring cyclones
Affects: Mar, Apr
East Asian monsoon reduces pollution concentration
Affects: Jul, Aug
Beijing residents lose an estimated 3.5 years of life expectancy on average due to PM2.5 air pollution — compared to living in a city that meets WHO air quality guidelines.
Each bar shows estimated life-years lost due to that risk factor. The orange bar is Beijing. Gray bars are risk comparisons.
Source: AQLI methodology — each 10 µg/m³ above the WHO 5 µg/m³ baseline ≈ 0.98 life-years lost. Population-level statistical estimates, not individual predictions. Methodology →
Tip: tap a day cell to pin details, tap outside to close.
All-years view shows the median across available years per calendar day. Individual year views show actual measured values. Methodology →
Smoking-aware mode is optional. Turn it on only if you want combined smoking + air burden estimates.
Berkeley Earth conversion: 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 ≈ 1 cigarette/day. Statistical communication tool — not a clinical diagnosis.
Planning estimate from monthly median PM2.5 values. Air-equivalent burden is additive and does not replace smoking burden.
Based on monthly median PM2.5 values. Actual exposure varies by fit, wear time, location, activity, and daily conditions. Methodology →
Beijing's air quality improvement over the past decade is among the most dramatic in our dataset. With eleven years of sensor data, we can see the trajectory: the city that was a byword for choking smog in the early 2010s has measurably improved—though the annual median of 30.5 µg/m³ still represents 3.5 years of life expectancy lost.
Two seasonal crises define Beijing's calendar. The heating season (November–February) triggers coal combustion across the North China Plain, with January and February recording medians around 31 µg/m³ and high-pollution episodes reaching 100+ µg/m³. Spring dust storms (March–April) add a second dimension: Gobi Desert dust mobilised by cyclones arrives with additional industrial pollution absorbed during transit. March is the worst month at 43.9 µg/m³.
The summer monsoon (July–August) provides Beijing's clearest air. August median: 22 µg/m³. Counterintuitively, December shows the best median at 21.2 µg/m³—reflecting progressive enforcement of heating-sector regulations that has cut the worst pollution episodes.
High variability is Beijing's defining feature: a given January day might be 8 µg/m³ or 200+ µg/m³ depending on wind direction and heating load. July through September offers the most consistent outdoor conditions. Spring visitors should monitor yellow dust forecasts daily; N95 masks are essential on high-pollution days any time of year.
Data: OpenAQ API v3 · WHO 2021 AQI Guidelines · Berkeley Earth · Methodology →