2025 – Air Quality Perspective in Delhi – EQ

In Short : The year 2025 marked a period of cautious progress for Delhi’s air quality, with measurable improvements in average pollution levels alongside persistent seasonal challenges. While policy interventions, technological measures, and improved monitoring helped reduce the frequency of extreme pollution episodes, winter smog and long-term exposure risks continued to underline the need for sustained, coordinated action.

In Detail : The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), since its inception in 2021, through a series of Directions/ Advisories and Orders, has initiated various policy measures and field actions towards abatement of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

Continued, concerted and persistent efforts of all the stakeholders round the year in 2025 have further helped to improve the general air quality in Delhi as is evident from a record 79 days during 2025 with the AQI of 100 or below i.e. in ‘Good’ and ‘Satisfactory’ categories, which is lower than only the COVID year 2020. The year 2025 recorded the second lowest number of “Severe to Severe+” AQI days, i.e. 8 such days, since 2018.

Month-wise Avg. AQI for Delhi

The months of February and July 2025 recorded the lowest ever average AQI for these months since 2018, even lower than the COVID year 2020. Further, barring Covid year 2020, the months of January, May and June witnessed the second lowest average AQI during 2025, as compared to the corresponding months of last 7 years since 2018.

Comparative PM10 and PM2.5 Concentrations

Further, comparative daily average Particulate Matter emission concentration (PM2.5 and PM10) values (till 29th December) in Delhi read as under:

 Covid Year

The year 2025 has thus witnessed the lowest ever average values for PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, barring the Covid affected year 2020.

The year 2025 witnessed the highest number of days with ‘Good’ to ‘Satisfactory’ AQI (0-100), barring COVID year 2020.

Absolutely still / very low speed wind conditions and unfavourable meterological conditions during December, 2025 led to an abnormally high monthly average AQI of 351. Despite this, the average AQI for 2025 has been the lowest in last 7 years since 2018 (barring the COVID year 2020) as tabulated under:

Annual Average AQI for Delhi

Comparative AQI Category Status for Delhi

With persistent field level efforts and targeted policy initiatives for quantified results in the short/ medium/ long term, it is expected that air quality scenario over Delhi will see further gradual but marked improvement, year on year.