Bengaluru breathes its worst air in five years as 2025 pollution peaks

Data shows a sharp and sustained fall in air quality this year, with rising AQI levels after October pushing Bengaluru into its most polluted phase in recent times.

Bengaluru’s air quality has deteriorated steadily through 2025, making this year the most polluted for the city in the last five years. Data from air quality monitoring centres reveals that the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) has crossed levels recorded in 2020, with overall air quality declining by 22 per cent compared to last year.

A comparison with earlier years highlights the seriousness of the situation. In February 2020, Bengaluru’s average AQI stood at 131. By December 27, 2025, the average rose to 143, signalling a clear worsening trend. On December 21, the city recorded an AQI of 175, placing it firmly in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Experts warn that breathing Bengaluru’s air for a single day is now equivalent to smoking nearly three cigarettes, pointing to growing health risks from prolonged exposure. Among the last five years, 2025 has emerged as the worst in terms of pollution levels.

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Seasonal data shows that pollution began rising sharply after October. From December 5 onwards, the daily average AQI has remained consistently above 149. December 15 recorded a one-day average AQI of 166, the second-highest daily figure of the year. A similar spike was observed on November 28, when the AQI touched 167. Between October 1 and December 15, November 22 was the only day when air quality briefly improved, with the AQI dropping to 52, placing it in the ‘good’ category.

Month-wise analysis paints a worrying picture. Out of 361 days in 2025 till December 27, Bengaluru experienced good air quality on just two days. Air quality was satisfactory on 253 days, moderate on 81 days, and unhealthy on 24 days. Temporary relief was seen during the monsoon months, with average AQI levels of 60 in July, 57 in August, and 63 in September. However, pollution levels rose again post-monsoon, with October averaging 83, November 124, and December at 143 so far.

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Monitoring data confirms that no other year in the past five-year period has recorded such consistently high pollution levels. For comparison, Bengaluru’s average AQI was 86 in 2020, 84 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 78 in 2023, and 73 in 2024, before rising sharply in 2025.