Annual mean PM2.5 concentration dataset of 342 Chinese cities (2000-2024)

Air pollution is one of China's most serious environmental issues, seriously affecting human health and well-being. However, the detection of PM2.5 began in most Chinese cities after 2013, and data in some cities are missing. First, we collected global ground-observed PM2.5 concentration data calibrated using geographically weighted regression at Washington University in St. Louis and data from air quality monitoring stations in China. Using the zonal statistics tool in ArcGIS software, the annual average PM2.5 concentration datasets of 342 administrative units (prefecture-level cities and regions) in China from 2000 to 2024 were calculated. This dataset could support some research on air pollution control and urban environmental regulation in China, and can also provide references for the assessment of local government's environmental performance.