Abstract: The panel data of 31 provinces（cities, autonomous regions） was used, and provinces （cities, autonomous regions） were divided into six regions. The driving factors of agricultural water consumption were decomposed into six major driving factors： agricultural water consumption intensity, agriculturalization, provincial economic development, regional economic development, economic growth（national per capita economic level） and population size by LMDI model, and the impact of each driving factor on agricultural water consumption was explored. The results showed that the agricultural water consumption intensity and agriculturalization promoted the reduction of agricultural water consumption, and the agricultural water consumption intensity effect was the dominant effect; the economic growth and population size inhibited the reduction of agricultural water consumption, and the economic growth effect was the dominant effect. Based on the results, the following recommendations were put forward： economic development should be balanced with water consumption intensity to achieve a new normal of water-saving economic growth; regional economic development differences should be reduced to control their negative effects on water conservation; and funds should be invested to strengthen the intensity effect of water consumption.

Key words: agriculture water consumption, LMDI, regional perspective, decomposition of driving factors, water conservation