Assessment of the Economic Loss of Health Damages Caused by Air Pollutants in Typical Chinese Cities from 2016 to 2023

<p indent="0mm"> Atmospheric contaminants can cause negative health impacts to humans. This work aimed to evaluate the economic loss of health damage caused by air pollutants in China. This study employs a Poisson regression relative risk estimation model, integrated with the human capital approach and the cost-of-illness method, to evaluate the economic loss of health damages caused by Particulate Matter (PM_2.5) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xi’an from 2016 to 2023. The findings reveal that the maximum economic loss resulting from health damages in the four cities is as follows: Beijing, 478.589 billion Chinese Yuan (CNY); Shanghai, 451.271 billion CNY; Guangzhou, 191.442 billion CNY; and Xi’an, 115.286 billion CNY. The general trend indicates that the economic loss of health damages in all cities underwent an initial increase followed by a decrease, which was mainly attributed to the change in NO₂ concentration with the increase in human capital loss. Specifically, Beijing and Shanghai exhibited the highest ratios of health economic loss to their gross domestic product (GDP), and they experienced the most significant declines during the study period. The economic loss of health damages in Guangzhou accounted for the smallest percentage of its GDP, indicating the comparatively good performance of its pollution control measures. The findings of this study provide important theoretical support for improving air pollution control strategies in urban areas and help with reducing the impact of air pollution on health and the economy.