diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c11fb4b5..f42bdae2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -415,6 +415,30 @@ Flags:
 
 Use "yq [command] --help" for more information about a command.
 ```
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+### Color Customization
+
+You can customize the colors used in YAML output by setting these environment variables:
+
+- `YQ_COLOR_BOOL` - Color for boolean values (default: hi-magenta)
+- `YQ_COLOR_NUMBER` - Color for numeric values (default: hi-magenta)  
+- `YQ_COLOR_MAP_KEY` - Color for map keys (default: cyan)
+- `YQ_COLOR_ANCHOR` - Color for YAML anchors (default: hi-yellow)
+- `YQ_COLOR_ALIAS` - Color for YAML aliases (default: hi-yellow)
+- `YQ_COLOR_STRING` - Color for string values (default: green)
+- `YQ_COLOR_COMMENT` - Color for comments (default: hi-black)
+
+Supported color values: `black`, `red`, `green`, `yellow`, `blue`, `magenta`, `cyan`, `white`, and their `hi-` prefixed variants (e.g., `hi-red`). Numeric color codes are also supported.
+
+Example:
+```bash
+export YQ_COLOR_STRING=red
+export YQ_COLOR_MAP_KEY=hi-blue
+yq -C '.data' file.yaml
+```
+
 ## Known Issues / Missing Features
 - `yq` attempts to preserve comment positions and whitespace as much as possible, but it does not handle all scenarios (see https://github.com/go-yaml/yaml/tree/v3 for details)
 - Powershell has its own...[opinions on quoting yq](https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/usage/tips-and-tricks#quotes-in-windows-powershell)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/color_config.go b/pkg/yqlib/color_config.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73120a15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/color_config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+package yqlib
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
+)
+
+type ColorConfig struct {
+	BoolColor    color.Attribute
+	NumberColor  color.Attribute
+	MapKeyColor  color.Attribute
+	AnchorColor  color.Attribute
+	AliasColor   color.Attribute
+	StringColor  color.Attribute
+	CommentColor color.Attribute
+}
+
+func NewColorConfig() *ColorConfig {
+	config := &ColorConfig{
+		BoolColor:    color.FgHiMagenta,
+		NumberColor:  color.FgHiMagenta,
+		MapKeyColor:  color.FgCyan,
+		AnchorColor:  color.FgHiYellow,
+		AliasColor:   color.FgHiYellow,
+		StringColor:  color.FgGreen,
+		CommentColor: color.FgHiBlack,
+	}
+
+	if colorStr := os.Getenv("YQ_COLOR_BOOL"); colorStr != "" {
+		if attr, err := parseColorAttribute(colorStr); err == nil {
+			config.BoolColor = attr
+		}
+	}
+
+	if colorStr := os.Getenv("YQ_COLOR_NUMBER"); colorStr != "" {
+		if attr, err := parseColorAttribute(colorStr); err == nil {
+			config.NumberColor = attr
+		}
+	}
+
+	if colorStr := os.Getenv("YQ_COLOR_MAP_KEY"); colorStr != "" {
+		if attr, err := parseColorAttribute(colorStr); err == nil {
+			config.MapKeyColor = attr
+		}
+	}
+
+	if colorStr := os.Getenv("YQ_COLOR_ANCHOR"); colorStr != "" {
+		if attr, err := parseColorAttribute(colorStr); err == nil {
+			config.AnchorColor = attr
+		}
+	}
+
+	if colorStr := os.Getenv("YQ_COLOR_ALIAS"); colorStr != "" {
+		if attr, err := parseColorAttribute(colorStr); err == nil {
+			config.AliasColor = attr
+		}
+	}
+
+	if colorStr := os.Getenv("YQ_COLOR_STRING"); colorStr != "" {
+		if attr, err := parseColorAttribute(colorStr); err == nil {
+			config.StringColor = attr
+		}
+	}
+
+	if colorStr := os.Getenv("YQ_COLOR_COMMENT"); colorStr != "" {
+		if attr, err := parseColorAttribute(colorStr); err == nil {
+			config.CommentColor = attr
+		}
+	}
+
+	return config
+}
+
+func parseColorAttribute(colorStr string) (color.Attribute, error) {
+	switch colorStr {
+	case "black":
+		return color.FgBlack, nil
+	case "red":
+		return color.FgRed, nil
+	case "green":
+		return color.FgGreen, nil
+	case "yellow":
+		return color.FgYellow, nil
+	case "blue":
+		return color.FgBlue, nil
+	case "magenta":
+		return color.FgMagenta, nil
+	case "cyan":
+		return color.FgCyan, nil
+	case "white":
+		return color.FgWhite, nil
+	case "hi-black":
+		return color.FgHiBlack, nil
+	case "hi-red":
+		return color.FgHiRed, nil
+	case "hi-green":
+		return color.FgHiGreen, nil
+	case "hi-yellow":
+		return color.FgHiYellow, nil
+	case "hi-blue":
+		return color.FgHiBlue, nil
+	case "hi-magenta":
+		return color.FgHiMagenta, nil
+	case "hi-cyan":
+		return color.FgHiCyan, nil
+	case "hi-white":
+		return color.FgHiWhite, nil
+	default:
+		if num, err := strconv.Atoi(colorStr); err == nil {
+			return color.Attribute(num), nil
+		}
+		return color.Reset, fmt.Errorf("unknown color: %s", colorStr)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/color_print.go b/pkg/yqlib/color_print.go
index 51c0a45d..b0a1d219 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/color_print.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/color_print.go
@@ -19,46 +19,47 @@ func format(attr color.Attribute) string {
 
 func colorizeAndPrint(yamlBytes []byte, writer io.Writer) error {
 	tokens := lexer.Tokenize(string(yamlBytes))
+	config := NewColorConfig()
 	var p printer.Printer
 	p.Bool = func() *printer.Property {
 		return &printer.Property{
-			Prefix: format(color.FgHiMagenta),
+			Prefix: format(config.BoolColor),
 			Suffix: format(color.Reset),
 		}
 	}
 	p.Number = func() *printer.Property {
 		return &printer.Property{
-			Prefix: format(color.FgHiMagenta),
+			Prefix: format(config.NumberColor),
 			Suffix: format(color.Reset),
 		}
 	}
 	p.MapKey = func() *printer.Property {
 		return &printer.Property{
-			Prefix: format(color.FgCyan),
+			Prefix: format(config.MapKeyColor),
 			Suffix: format(color.Reset),
 		}
 	}
 	p.Anchor = func() *printer.Property {
 		return &printer.Property{
-			Prefix: format(color.FgHiYellow),
+			Prefix: format(config.AnchorColor),
 			Suffix: format(color.Reset),
 		}
 	}
 	p.Alias = func() *printer.Property {
 		return &printer.Property{
-			Prefix: format(color.FgHiYellow),
+			Prefix: format(config.AliasColor),
 			Suffix: format(color.Reset),
 		}
 	}
 	p.String = func() *printer.Property {
 		return &printer.Property{
-			Prefix: format(color.FgGreen),
+			Prefix: format(config.StringColor),
 			Suffix: format(color.Reset),
 		}
 	}
 	p.Comment = func() *printer.Property {
 		return &printer.Property{
-			Prefix: format(color.FgHiBlack),
+			Prefix: format(config.CommentColor),
 			Suffix: format(color.Reset),
 		}
 	}