China Reports Steady Air and Water Quality Improvements in First Half of 2026

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment released its semi-annual environmental data on July 28, revealing continued improvement in national air quality and generally stable surface water quality across the country during the first half of 2026. The findings, presented at the ministry’s monthly press conference, underscore steady progress in China’s environmental protection efforts amid varying regional conditions.

According to CCTV News, the average PM2.5 concentration across 339 cities at the prefecture level and above reached 29.9 micrograms per cubic meter, a year-on-year decrease of 6.6%. PM10 levels averaged 50 μg/m³, down 7.4% from the same period last year. The proportion of days with good air quality stood at 82.8%, representing a notable increase of 4.5 percentage points, while the proportion of days with heavy or severe pollution fell to 1%, down 0.5 percentage points.

Background

The semi-annual report arrives as China approaches the final phase of its 14th Five-Year Plan period, during which environmental protection has been a key national priority. Since declaring a “war on pollution” in 2014, the country has invested heavily in pollution control infrastructure, clean energy transition, and stricter industrial emissions standards, gradually achieving measurable improvements in air and water quality across most regions.

Surface Water Quality Shows Broad Gains

On water quality, the ministry reported that 87.4% of national surface water monitoring sections achieved Grade I-III classification — the highest quality tier — a rise of 3 percentage points year-on-year. The proportion of sections classified as 劣V类 (the poorest quality) dropped to 0.9%, down 1.2 percentage points.

Major river basins, including the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, saw 88.1% of monitoring sections reach Grade I-III standards, also up 3 percentage points. Among 145 key lakes and reservoirs monitored nationwide, 75.9% achieved Grade I-III quality, an improvement of 3.5 percentage points.

Regional Disparities in Air Quality Performance

While national trends are broadly positive, data from 海报新闻 reveals significant regional variation. The Fenwei Plain, encompassing 13 cities, showed robust improvement with PM2.5 concentrations falling 8.3% and the proportion of good air quality days rising 1.6 percentage points — indicating that targeted pollution control measures in this historically heavily polluted region are yielding results.

However, China’s most economically dynamic regions faced headwinds. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas, PM2.5 levels rose 2.1%, and good air quality days declined by 1.3 percentage points. The Yangtze River Delta region, comprising 31 cities, saw PM2.5 increase by 8.3% with good air quality days falling 1.9 percentage points, suggesting that industrial activity and urban density in these economic powerhouses continue to exert pressure on air quality.

Analysis

The regional variation underscores a complex environmental reality: while nationwide pollution control measures are delivering results, densely populated industrial and economic centers face persistent challenges. The Fenwei Plain’s success demonstrates that sustained, targeted interventions can produce rapid improvements, while the struggles in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the Yangtze River Delta highlight the difficulty of balancing continued economic growth with environmental targets.

Ministry spokesperson Pei Xiaofei stated that “China’s ambient air quality and surface water quality have continued to improve overall,” reflecting the government’s assessment of steady progress. The data suggests that China’s environmental strategy is broadly effective but requires more localized, differentiated approaches — particularly in regions where economic activity and pollution pressures remain high.

What to Watch

As the 14th Five-Year Plan period draws to a close, attention will focus on whether China can sustain its pollution reduction trajectory while addressing the regional disparities highlighted by the latest data. The effectiveness of region-specific pollution control measures — particularly in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Yangtze River Delta areas — will be critical indicators of China’s environmental trajectory in the second half of 2026 and beyond.