Delhi records best average AQI in eight years, says data
Meteorology, experts pointed out, has played a defining role in this year’s clean run.
Delhi has breathed its cleanest air in nearly a decade through the first nine months of 2025, barring the unusual respite during the Covid lockdowns. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shows the city’s air quality index (AQI) between January and September has been better than in any comparable period since at least 2018, offering rare respite in a city where million are accustomed to toxic skies nearly throughout the year.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which released the data on Wednesday, credited both favourable weather conditions and regulatory efforts.
“The improving trend in the overall air quality of Delhi-NCR continues and for the period between January–September this year, Delhi registers its best-ever average AQI during the eight years from 2018 to 2025, excluding 2020,” CAQM said in a statement.
Delhi’s average AQI for January to September 2025 stood at 164, according to CPCB. This is an improvement from 178 in 2024 and 167 in 2023, and significantly better than 193 in 2018. Only the Covid-hit year of 2020, when lockdowns brought life and emissions to a halt, recorded a lower figure of 144.
CAQM officials clarified that comparisons are made from 2018 onward, as data from 2016 and 2017 contained some inconsistencies and missing values. The Covid year of 2020 was also excluded, they said, because its numbers reflected an extraordinary halt in activity rather than sustainable gains.
The monsoon season further boosted Delhi’s score. Between July and September, the city logged an average AQI of 91 -- its cleanest since 2018 (again excluding 2020), CAQM said in the statement. By contrast, monsoon averages were 103 in 2023, 95 in 2022, and 109 in 2018.
{{/usCountry}}The monsoon season further boosted Delhi’s score. Between July and September, the city logged an average AQI of 91 -- its cleanest since 2018 (again excluding 2020), CAQM said in the statement. By contrast, monsoon averages were 103 in 2023, 95 in 2022, and 109 in 2018.
{{/usCountry}}With a little help from weather
{{/usCountry}}With a little help from weather
{{/usCountry}}Meteorology, experts pointed out, has played a defining role in this year’s clean run. Unlike past winters when Delhi’s air often turns poisonous, January 2025 saw unusually high minimum and maximum temperatures. Warmer air helps disperse pollutants rather than trapping them near the ground.
{{/usCountry}}Meteorology, experts pointed out, has played a defining role in this year’s clean run. Unlike past winters when Delhi’s air often turns poisonous, January 2025 saw unusually high minimum and maximum temperatures. Warmer air helps disperse pollutants rather than trapping them near the ground.
{{/usCountry}}“The summer this year was not as intense, with no heatwaves recorded,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment. “Additionally, we experienced frequent and intense spells of rain during the monsoon, which regularly washed away pollutants. Meteorological factors were definitely responsible for better air quality. How much the pollution level bounces back in the winter months is very important this year.”
{{/usCountry}}“The summer this year was not as intense, with no heatwaves recorded,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment. “Additionally, we experienced frequent and intense spells of rain during the monsoon, which regularly washed away pollutants. Meteorological factors were definitely responsible for better air quality. How much the pollution level bounces back in the winter months is very important this year.”
{{/usCountry}}The result: the Capital recorded no “severe” or “severe-plus” air days till September this year. In comparison, there were three such days each in 2024 and 2023, six in 2021, and seven in 2019.
This year has also brought the highest number of “satisfactory” days – 75 – since 2018, apart from the exceptional 95 days during 2020. That is a marked improvement over 66 such days in 2024 and just 53 in 2018.
Pollution levels of PM2.5 and PM10 – tiny particles that lodge deep in the lungs – were also at their lowest from January to September 2025, compared with the same period in the last seven years (except 2020).
Delhi’s gains, while significant, remain fragile. Historically, the Capital’s air turns dire as the year closes, when cooler weather, crop stubble burning in neighbouring states, and festive firecrackers combine into a lethal haze. For now, though, residents enjoy a rare window to breathe easy.
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