The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) can be used to characterize a region's vegetation status, however, there have been few studies on the NDVI dynamics of coastal wetland areas. Using MODIS NDVI as the data source, we analyzed the vegetation dynamics, NDVI trend, and the main driving factors of NDVI in the coastal wetland areas of Guangxi from 2000 to 2014. The results showed that in the coastal wetland area with a 10-km buffer, the mean NDVI value was relatively high (0.71). However, annual fluctuations were more stable (SD=0.02). Spatially, NDVI showed a higher trend in terrestrial land and a lower trend in coastal and estuarine areas. The NDVI values of various vegetation types were significantly different, and the highest value was recorded for woodland, which is widely distributed in the terrace (0.76), and the lowest value was found for coastal wetland (0.52) and other vegetation types (e.g., bare land) (0.50). The vegetation trend (slope k) showed that 57% of the woodland was improving (k≥0.002), and 52% of the coastal wetland was degrading (k ≤-0.002). The Hurst index of the sustainability of vegetation showed that forest land and dry land have been continuously improving, while the coastal wetland showed a trend of continuous degradation. The influence of meteorological factors on NDVI dynamics was not significant, and the NDVI was mainly affected by topographic characteristics and human activities. NDVI and its trend were negatively correlated with comprehensive topographic indexes and the distance from the river, and positively correlated with slope, altitude, and the distance from roads and valleys. Altogether, most regions showed positive development, but the coastal wetland exhibited degradation and needed to be improved.