Abstract:There is an urgent need for solutions to enable the sustainable development of the water resource environment and economy in China. The present study investigated the economic productivity of grey water (EPGW), which was defined as the ratio of gross domestic product to grey water footprint. Based on an analysis of regional characteristics and spatial correlation of the EPGW in the 31 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in China (the data of Hongkong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan Province have not been counted) from 2000 to 2014, we used the spatial Durbin model to examine the relationship between human factors and the EPGW. We found that the EPGW in China increased over time and that the nationwide productivity increased from 19.85 yuan/m3 in 2000 to 107.93 yuan/m3 in 2014, and the 15-year average EPGW was 52.19 yuan/m3. In the eastern region, the EPGW was significantly higher than that of the central and western regions and was lowest in the western region. The difference in average productivity, over 15 years, between the eastern region and the central and western regions was > 50 yuan/m3. From 2000 to 2014, the EPGW in China exhibited a significant positive auto-correlation in regards to spatial distribution, and the spatial agglomeration degree was higher and not randomly distributed. In recent years, however, interregional differentiation in the EPGW has intensified. From the national perspective, the optimization of industrial structure, urbanization, and social welfare are conducive to the growth of the EPGW in local regions. Therefore, improving the level of education and social welfare has positively affected the EPGW in other areas. Improving education, urbanization, social welfare, and the proportion of tertiary industry could positively impact the EPGW of the eastern region. And improving education could also have a significant positive impact on the EPGW of the eastern region's outer area. Reducing social welfare in the central region has positively affected the EPGW of the adjoining and surrounding areas. The total effect coefficient of urbanization reached 4.8446 in the western region, and improving social welfare positively affected the EPGW of the western region's outer area. In addition, various regions need to reduce the disparity between the EPGW of urban and rural areas, improve the GDP of rural areas, and promote a healthy development in both economy and environment. On the basis of these observations, we propose various suggestions that could further promote the coordinated development of water environment and economy in China.