When is the best time to be outside in Ho Chi Minh City?

Sat 15:00–18:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 61. The worst hour is around Sat 13:00, at 119.

What is the main pollutant in Ho Chi Minh City?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 28 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Ho Chi Minh City's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.6 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 24 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 and O3 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Ho Chi Minh City's air?

About 1.1 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 24 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Ho Chi Minh City improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 119, against 156 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Ho Chi Minh City air quality

Q: Is the air in Ho Chi Minh City safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Ho Chi Minh City is 86, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 119 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 13:00.

Vietnam · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Sat 00:00 local time

Moderate

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 58–119US AQI, highest around Sat 13:00
Best time outside: Sat 15:00–18:00US AQI about 61
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.6×24 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.1 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Ho Chi Minh City. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Ho Chi Minh City right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	28 µg/m³	Moderate	1.6×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	30 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	44 µg/m³	Good	1.4×
Ozone O₃	17 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	29 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Carbon monoxide CO	1,141 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Aerosol optical depth	0.21	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 156 around Sun 13:00, lowest 58 around Sat 15:00.

50100150

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Ho Chi Minh City

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 200.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Sat 14 Nov	58–119	Sensitive	13:00	24	8 Very high
Sun 15 Nov	61–156	Unhealthy	13:00	23	8 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	69–119	Sensitive	13:00	26	8 Very high
Tue 17 Nov	64–119	Sensitive	7:00	26	8 Very high

Common questions about the air in Ho Chi Minh City

Is the air in Ho Chi Minh City safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Ho Chi Minh City is 86, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 119 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 13:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Ho Chi Minh City?
Sat 15:00–18:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 61. The worst hour is around Sat 13:00, at 119.
What is the main pollutant in Ho Chi Minh City?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 28 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Ho Chi Minh City's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.6 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 24 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ and O₃ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Ho Chi Minh City's air?
About 1.1 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 24 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Ho Chi Minh City improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 119, against 156 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Ho Chi Minh City

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 13 µg/m³ · Sat 00:00	6.1 km	59	Moderate

Air quality near Ho Chi Minh City

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Phnom Penh (53); worst: Hanoi (207). The tick on each bar is Ho Chi Minh City, at 86.

Phnom Penh 203 km NW 53 Moderate
Bangkok 741 km NW 76 Moderate
Kuala Lumpur 1,014 km SW 88 Moderate
Singapore 1,098 km S 68 Moderate
Hanoi 1,138 km N 207 Very unhealthy
Chiang Mai 1,208 km NW 90 Moderate

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 10.82°N, 106.63°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.