Decadal Evolution of NO(2) Pollution and Attributable Mortality Burden in China under Clean Air Actions and Population Ageing, 2015-2024.

Declines in population-weighted NO2 levels from 2015 to 2024 led to significant reductions in related mortality, but most Chinese populations still face unsafe air quality levels.

• Why it matters: Despite ongoing efforts, ambient NO2 pollution remains a major health risk in China, especially as rapid population aging may diminish health gains from pollution reduction.
• What they did: A seamless daily 1km NO2 dataset for China from 2015 to 2024 was created, estimating mortality attributable to long-term NO2 exposure and analyzing the impacts of pollution changes and aging.
• The result: NO2-related deaths decreased by hundreds of thousands, driven mainly by pollution reduction, but population aging offset these gains, highlighting the need for integrated air quality and health strategies.