Da Nang Air Quality: The AQI Explained and What Monitoring Shows (2026)

Da Nang's urban air is generally fairly good, per the Department of Agriculture and Environment. As of May 2026, automatic stations recorded 'good' AQI on 90–96% of days, with PM2.5 and PM10 mostly within limits. VN_AQI runs in six bands from 0 to 500.

Da Nang’s urban air is generally rated fairly good. Urban monitoring stations show that the city records good air quality on 90–96% of monitored days, though that report gives no year. Traffic and construction still push dust above the limit at some junctions at times.

Understanding Vietnam’s AQI bands

Vietnam calculates air quality using the VN_AQI index established under Decision No. 1459/QĐ-TCMT. An index reading up to 50 reflects good green air with no health impacts. Anyone can freely exercise outdoors at this level.

In the 51–100 band, sensitive individuals should watch for coughing or shortness of breath. From 101 to 150, the official guidance is for sensitive groups to reduce vigorous activity and time outdoors, while ordinary people are little affected. In the red band, the official guidance is for everyone to cut vigorous outdoor activity and rest more indoors. At the emergency level, the guidance is to stay indoors with doors and windows closed.

How the city tracks air quality

Da Nang tracks ambient air across 52 periodic monitoring locations. The city has also invested in 13 automatic continuous environmental monitoring stations, though the report does not say how many measure air. In addition, three continuous air stations operate under ministerial oversight.

These ministerial monitors sit at Da Nang University, the University of Education, and the Mid-Central Region Hydro-Meteorological Station. Two municipal stations track ambient air near the Ngu Hanh Son Cultural Centre and the Pham Hung junction. One report, which gives no measurement period, put urban PM2.5 at 0.02–29.56 µg/m³, below the 50 µg/m³ limit it cited; since 1 January 2026 the 24-hour PM2.5 limit is 45 µg/Nm³. The same report put PM10 at 21.51–91.7 µg/m³, below the 100 µg/m³ standard.

Avoiding local pollution hotspots

Transportation activity generates about 70% of the city’s air pollution.

Engine exhaust and stirred-up road dust create localized particulate spikes at busy transit hubs. You should take extra care when driving through the junction at Cach Mang Thang Tam and Ong Ich Duong.

High traffic also concentrates dust around the Da Nang Central Bus Station and the Phuoc Tuong crossroads. Other congestion points include the intersection at Hoang Van Thai and Ton Duc Thang, as well as the Hue junction. An older report, which gave no measurement period, found suspended dust above the standard west of the Lien Chieu and Hoa Khanh industrial zones, linked mainly to construction, industrial growth and urbanisation.

Clean air rules and city targets

Under a city dispatch, local authorities must inspect construction sites and enforce vehicle washing. Municipal directives also instruct residents not to burn solid waste or harvest straw.

National technical regulation QCVN 05:2023/BTNMT sets Vietnam’s official ambient air standards. This regulation caps the daily limit for coarse dust at 100 µg/Nm³. Da Nang’s municipal air management plan targets keeping the overall yearly index under 100. Independent trackers like IQAir are a live, unofficial snapshot, not the official record; one such snapshot rated Da Nang’s air moderate compared with other Vietnamese cities.

If you are planning a longer stay, check whether Da Nang’s tap water is safe to drink or explore our health cluster hub for more local living essentials.

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Not confirmed: Whether an official air-quality station is near where you live: reports give different station counts and don't list every location. Compare more than one live reading before relying on a single AQI figure.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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