This study used ERA5 data collected from 1979 to 2022 to conduct a comparative analysis of ozone characteristics in the polar regions. The results showed significant differences in the distribution characteristics of total ozone and zonal deviations over the polar regions. Ozone levels in the northern hemisphere were lowest in winter, while those in the southern hemisphere were lowest in spring. The Arctic low-ozone areas exhibited obvious monthly variations, whereas the Antarctic showed low values from August to October. Over the past 44 years, ozone levels showed an increasing trend in the Arctic low-ozone areas and a decreasing trend in the Antarctic. In the Arctic, ozone levels tended to increase in summer but decreased in autumn and winter, whereas ozone levels in the Antarctic generally showed a declining trend. The Antarctic was more prone to extreme ozone depletion events, while the Arctic was more likely to experience general events. Extreme events in the Antarctic occurred only in spring, with no general events observed. In contrast, extreme events in the Arctic occurred only once in winter, with general events being more common, peaking in autumn and again in winter. In the past 11 years, the frequency of both extreme events in the Antarctic and general events in the Arctic has decreased compared with that in earlier periods.