New Delhi

Delhi recorded its best air quality for the January-May period in eight years, excluding the Covid-19 lockdown year of 2020, according to data released by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

The capital's average Air Quality Index (AQI) for the first five months of 2026 stood at 211, improving from 214 during the same period in 2025. The corresponding figures were 231 in 2024, 213 in 2023, 238 in 2022, 235 in 2021, 237 in 2019 and 243 in 2018. In 2020, when lockdown restrictions sharply reduced traffic and industrial activity, the average AQI had fallen to 181.

The CAQM also noted that Delhi's average AQI in May 2026 was 157, making it the second-lowest May AQI in the last eight years, excluding the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. The city had recorded an average AQI of 170 in May 2025, 223 in 2024, 171 in 2023, 212 in 2022, 221 in 2019 and 217 in 2018. The May averages were 144 in both 2020 and 2021.

Another positive indicator was the increase in the number of days with relatively cleaner air. Delhi recorded 75 days in the "Good" to "Moderate" AQI categories between January and May 2026, compared with 70 days in 2025. The city had recorded 75 such days in 2024, 74 in 2023, 37 in 2022, 59 in 2021, 59 in 2019 and 44 in 2018. The highest figure remained 98 days in 2020 during the pandemic-related restrictions.

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The data suggests a gradual improvement in Delhi's air quality over recent years, although the city's average AQI still remains within the "Poor" category for much of the year.