Delhi's September 2026 average AQI at 102, 5-year best

India Sep 30, 2026

Good news for Delhi: September 2026 saw the city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) drop to 102, the best it's been in the last five years.

That means breathing in the capital was a little easier this month compared to last year's average of 105.

Even on September 30, AQI stayed at a "moderate" 129, so not perfect, but definitely an improvement.

Delhi improves but stubble-burning persists

So far this year, Delhi clocked in 194 days with AQI below 200, the highest number of days with a daily average AQI below 200 in five years.

Days with really bad air ("poor to severe+") dropped from 127 in 2022 to just 79.

But there's still work to do: stubble-burning is still causing pollution spikes, especially as we head into October.

The fight for cleaner air isn't over yet!