Surface ozone(O₃) pollution poses a very serious threat to human health.O₃ pollution in China has been deteriorating since 2013.To evaluate the O₃ pollution change and its health effect in China from 2014 to 2018, this paperutilized a novel data fusion method that combinedsurface monitoring observations, air quality model predictionsand satellite retrieval data to obtain the mass concentration and spatial distributionof surface O₃, and then used the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program-Community Edition (BenMAP-CE) model to estimate the number of O₃-related premature mortality in China in 2014 and 2018.Results show that the annual average value of the maximum daily 8-hour average O₃(O₃-MDA8) mass concentration in 2018 (98.0 μg/m³) increases by 11.5%, compared to that in 2014 (87.9 μg/m³), among which O₃-MDA8 mass concentration increases most significantly in Anhui, Shanxi and Shandong Provinces.The number of O₃-related premature mortality in 2014 and 2018 is 174 000 and 267 000 respectively, and the growth rate of premature mortality numberis about 57%.Among the nine regions in China, Central China has the largest increase in O₃ mass concentration and O₃-related premature mortalitynumber compared with the other regions, and the regions with population density of about 1 000 people/km² have the largest increase in premature mortality number.The number of O₃-related premature mortality increases more in Henan, Hebei and Sichuan Provinces than in other provinces.In recent years, the increase of health hazards of surface atmospheric O₃ in China is much greater than that of O₃ mass concentration.The control of O₃ pollution should be strengthened as soon as possible.