In a statement shared on social media platform X, the CAQM said the average AQI for January–May 2026 stood at 211, marking an improvement from 214 during the corresponding period in 2025. The average AQI was significantly higher in previous years, recorded at 231 in 2024, 213 in 2023, 238 in 2022, 235 in 2021, 237 in 2019 and 243 in 2018. The only lower figure was recorded in 2020, when the average AQI dropped to 181 due to widespread restrictions on movement and industrial activity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The commission also reported that Delhi registered its second-lowest average AQI for the month of May in the past eight years, excluding the pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021. The average AQI in May 2026 stood at 157, improving from 170 in May 2025. In comparison, the average AQI was 223 in May 2024, 171 in 2023, 212 in 2022, 221 in 2019 and 217 in 2018. During the lockdown-influenced years of 2020 and 2021, the average AQI for May was recorded at 144.
The data further highlighted an increase in the number of relatively cleaner air days across the capital. Delhi recorded 75 days in the 'Good' to 'Moderate' AQI categories between January and May 2026. This matched the figure recorded in 2024 and exceeded the 70 such days reported in 2025. The city registered 74 cleaner-air days in 2023, 37 in 2022, 59 in 2021, 59 in 2019 and 44 in 2018. The highest figure during the period was recorded in 2020, when Delhi experienced 98 days in the 'Good' to 'Moderate' categories amid extensive pandemic-related restrictions.
The latest figures underscore a sustained improvement in Delhi's air quality and indicate that the capital experienced more days with cleaner air during the first five months of 2026 than in most recent years. The data represents one of the strongest air-quality performances recorded in the city over the past decade, highlighting a notable shift in pollution trends despite continuing environmental challenges.
About The Author
-(1).jpg)
Comment List