Assessing the health impacts attributable to PM2.5 and ozone pollution in 338 Chinese cities from 2015 to 2020

China has effectively reduced the fine particulate (PM₂.₅) pollution from 2015 to 2020. Ozone pollution and related health impacts have become severe contemporaneously. The coordinated control of PM₂.₅ and ozone is becoming a new issue for China's air pollution control. This study quantitatively assessed the health impacts attributed to PM₂.₅ and ozone pollution in 338 Chinese cities from 2015 to 2020 and estimated the possible health benefits from achieving dual concentration targets during 2021–2025. Results show PM₂.₅ caused a total health impact of 2.45 × 10⁷ disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2020. All-cause and respiratory ozone-related health impact in 2020 was 1.04 × 10⁷ DALYs and 1.56 × 10⁶ DALYs. Between 2015 and 2020, the PM₂.₅-related health impacts decreased by 14.97%, while those ozone-related increased by 94.61% and 96.54% for all-cause and respiratory. Cities in the North China Plain have suffered higher health impacts attributable to PM₂.₅ and ozone pollution, indicating that the two-pollutant coordinated control is primarily needed. By achieving aggressive concentration target (decreasing 10%) between 2020 and 2025, China will reduce the PM₂.₅-related health impacts in 338 cities by 1.56 × 10⁶ DALYs (improving 6.37%). By achieving general target (decreasing 10% or within the Interim target-1 of World Health Organization), the PM₂.₅-related health benefit will be 7.98 × 10⁵ DALYs (improving 3.25%). The deteriorating ozone health risks will also be improved. Controlling air pollution in large cities and regional center cities can achieve remarkable health benefits. Due to the inter-region, inter-province, and inter-city difference of health impacts, targeted and differentiated pollution prevention and control need to be implemented.