In 2025, Beijing saw its best air quality since monitoring began, with record low annual average PM2.5 concentrations and a record high number of days with good air quality, according to local environmental authorities.

According to the 2025 Beijing ecological and environmental statement released on Thursday, the city's annual average PM2.5 level dropped to 27 micrograms per cubic meter, an 11.5% decrease year on year.

The city enjoyed 311 days of good air quality, accounting for 85.2% of the year. Only one heavy pollution day was recorded, the fewest ever, indicating that severe pollution days have been nearly eliminated. This progress marks a dramatic turnaround from 2013, when Beijing experienced 58 days of heavy pollution and only 176 days of good air quality.

Since then, Beijing has accelerated its green transformation, including measures tackling coal burning, promoting new-energy vehicles, scaling up the use of green electricity, reducing dust and noise pollution, and supporting the transition of polluting industries.

Today, the environmental improvements extend beyond air quality. The report also shows that water quality continued to improve, with the share of rivers rated Class I to III exceeding 95%. Surface water quality in China is divided into five classes, with Class I being the highest quality. Soil quality remained good, and the city's ecological environment continued to improve steadily.

Beijing will continue to push forward pollution prevention and control, strengthen ecosystem protection and accelerate low-carbon transformation in key sectors, said Liu Baoxian, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau.

For more: China records best air quality in 2025 since monitoring began