The Impact of Air Pollution on Subjective Well-Being in China: County-Level Evidence and Regional Heterogeneity

This study draws on 37,754 individual samples from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) covering 2011 to 2019, combined with county-level air pollution data and thermal inversion as an instrumental variable, to systematically examine the impact of air pollution on residents’ subjective well-being, its underlying mechanisms, and regional heterogeneity. The results show that air pollution significantly reduces residents’ well-being, with notable variation across pollutants, regions, and groups. Specifically, a 1% increase in PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations decreases subjective well-being by 0.59% and 2.30%, respectively. Regionally, residents in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, central China, and urban areas are more vulnerable to air pollution, while at the group level, middle-aged individuals, the highly educated, and males show stronger responsiveness. Mechanism analysis further reveals that air pollution undermines subjective well-being primarily by deteriorating physical health and intensifying public risk perception. Overall, this study provides robust empirical evidence on the negative externalities of air pollution and offers important policy implications for enhancing residents’ well-being, strengthening environmental governance, and promoting sustainable regional development.