Abstract: To reveal the key reactive species, emission source characteristics, and spatial distribution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Anhui Province, a high-resolution anthropogenic VOCs emission inventory for the year 2021 was developed using the emission factor method. The temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and uncertainties of VOCs were also analyzed. Based on the established VOCs source profiles, a VOC species-based emission inventory was constructed, and the emission characteristics of anthropogenic VOCs along with their ozone formation potential (OFP) in Anhui Province were systematically investigated. The total anthropogenic VOC emissions in Anhui Province for 2021 reached 526.2 kt. The largest contributing source was industrial processes (34.21%). The components with higher emissions included aromatics, alkanes, and oxygenated VOCs. Among these, aromatics and oxygenated VOCs primarily originated from solvent use, while alkanes were mainly derived from industrial processes. The total OFP of VOCs in Anhui Province reached 1 822.9 kt. Aromatics were the most significant contributor among VOC groups, while industrial processes constituted the largest contributing source to OFP. Among individual species, p-xylene, ethylene, propylene and formaldehyde were identified as the most influential species to OFP, collectively accounting for 41.54% of the total. Spatially, high VOC emissions were primarily distributed in Hefei City, the central-northern region of the province, and the industrial zones along the Yangtze River in eastern Anhui. Both Hefei and Wuhu Cities exhibited higher OFP levels compared to other cities. The uncertainty range for total VOC emissions was estimated between -25.69% and 37.34%, with biomass burning and mobile sources showing higher uncertainties. Uncertainty analysis and inter-inventory comparisons demonstrate that the emission inventory developed in this study is reasonably reliable.