Delhi Records Cleanest July Air Since 2018: AQI at Best Level, No ‘Severe’ Days in 2025 So Far

New Delhi — In a major milestone for India’s capital city, Delhi recorded its best average air quality index (AQI) in the month of July 2025 since air quality monitoring began in its current format in 2018. With an average AQI of just 78, Delhi’s air quality in July entered the ‘Satisfactory’ category, outperforming even the COVID-19 lockdown year of 2020, when major industrial and vehicular activities were halted.

According to official data, Delhi witnessed 29 days with ‘Satisfactory’ air quality in July 2025 — the highest number ever recorded for this month in the past seven years. By comparison, there were 16 such days in July 2018, 12 in 2019, 25 in 2020, 20 in 2021, 25 in 2022, 26 in 2023, and 17 in 2024. These remarkable improvements are being attributed to favourable meteorological conditions, as well as coordinated pollution control efforts by various government stakeholders.

The broader period of January to July 2025 also showed encouraging trends. Not a single day during this seven-month span recorded an average AQI in the ‘Severe’ or ‘Severe+’ category (above 400). In comparison, this period had 6 such days in 2018, 7 in 2019, 2 in 2020, 6 in 2021, 1 in 2022, 3 in 2023, and 3 in 2024. The average AQI for January to July this year stood at 184, improving from 204 in 2024, although slightly higher than 183 in 2023 and significantly lower than 217 recorded in 2018.

In terms of particulate matter concentration, Delhi reported the lowest PM2.5 and PM10 levels for the January–July period since 2018, excluding 2020, which was an outlier due to the lockdown. The PM2.5 running average for the first seven months of 2025 was 79 µg/m³, better than 94 in 2024, 83 in 2023, and much lower than 103 in 2018. Similarly, PM10 levels averaged 180 µg/m³, compared to 209 in 2024 and 234 in 2018, showing a consistent downward trend in particulate pollution.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has attributed this progress to the continued enforcement of pollution-control measures, public awareness, and active participation of state and municipal bodies in curbing emissions. Authorities have confirmed that efforts will be further intensified to ensure that the air quality trajectory continues to improve throughout the year, especially with the onset of the more challenging winter months ahead.

Delhi’s record performance in July 2025 offers a promising indication that sustained and science-based air quality management can deliver visible results in one of the world’s most polluted cities.