Delhi's air quality improves; records lowest AQI in 8 years

India Dec 01, 2025

Delhi just had its cleanest air in eight years (except for the lockdown year), with an average AQI of 187 from January to November—way better than last year's 201.
Thanks to a drop in PM2.5 and PM10 levels, there were fewer days when pollution hit "severe" levels, giving residents a much-needed break from the usual smog.

The numbers behind the cleaner air

This year, PM2.5 averaged 85 mg/m3 and PM10 dropped to 183 mg/m3—both clear improvements over last year.
Only three days crossed the AQI 400 mark (down from 11 last year), and not a single day hit the dreaded 'Severe+' category.
While strong winds helped out recently, keeping up this progress will need everyone's effort as winter sets in.