biostudies-literatureXiong JMinistry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology)1439https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12357914biostudies-literatureUnknown12(1)Drought, characterized by below-average water supply, profoundly affects regional water resources and various ecosystem services. The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) is a widely used metric for drought monitoring and climate change assessments but suffers from inherent climatic inconsistencies and lacks comprehensive and reliable estimates under changing climate conditions. Here we develop a monthly multi-model and multi-scenario dataset of self-calibrated PDSI for the period 1850-2094, derived from 11 climate model outputs within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (PDSI_CMIP6). The traditional two-layer bucket model in PDSI is replaced with direct hydrological outputs from CMIP6 models, ensuring alignment with CMIP6 projections. The PDSI estimates are validated against soil Scientific dataPDSI_CMIP6: an ensemble CMIP6-projected self-calibrated Palmer drought severity index dataset.PMC123579142023YFC3206603Xiong JYang YfalsePDSI_CMIP6: an ensemble CMIP6-projected self-calibrated Palmer drought severity index dataset.Drought, characterized by below-average water supply, profoundly affects regional water resources and various ecosystem services. The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) is a widely used metric for drought monitoring and climate change assessments but suffers from inherent climatic inconsistencies and lacks comprehensive and reliable estimates under changing climate conditions. Here we develop a monthly multi-model and multi-scenario dataset of self-calibrated PDSI for the period 1850-2094, derived from 11 climate model outputs within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (PDSI_CMIP6). The traditional two-layer bucket model in PDSI is replaced with direct hydrological outputs from CMIP6 models, ensuring alignment with CMIP6 projections. The PDSI estimates are validated against soil 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Aug2026-05-29T17:07:05.7Z2026-04-08T05:26:35.785ZS-EPMC123579144081909610.1038/s41597-025-05790-3