On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, global warming has led to the gradual melting of permafrost and increased the area of seasonal permafrost. However, there is still a lack of systematic understanding of the spatiotemporal changes in freeze-thaw erosion. Using the weight method, where 6 evaluating factors (annual freeze-thaw cycle days, average daily phase change water, vegetation cover, average annual precipitation, slope, and aspect) were selected, our study determined the spatiotemporal variations in freeze-thaw erosion and their driving factors during 2003-2020 on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that:(1) From 2003 to 2020, the average freeze-thaw erosion area of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau was (161.37±0.42)×10⁴ km², accounting for 64.55% of the total area of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Moderate and above erosion accounted for 63.0% of the area of freeze-thaw erosion. Intense, extremely intense, and severe erosion was mainly distributed in the Yarlung-Zangbo River basin, Kunlun-Qilian Mountains, and Pamirs Plateau; (2) From 2003 to 2020, the freeze-thaw erosion of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau has been strengthened, with a strengthened area of 29.79×10⁴ km², accounting for 11.6% of the total area of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. The area of moderate and above erosion was (95.71±3.33)×10⁴ km² in 2003-2010 and (107.60±3.20)×10⁴ km² in 2013-2020, with an increasing area of 11.89×10⁴ km². The strengthened area was mainly distributed in Hoh Xil Mountain, Gangdis Mountain, Northern Tibetan Plateau, and Sanjiangyuan region. (3) The average contribution rate of everage daily phase freeze-thaw change water variation to the change in erosion intensity was the largest, with a value of 49.59%, and the high contribution area was mainly located in the permafrost region of the northern Tibetan plateau. The annual freeze-thaw cycle daysvariation played a less important role than the daily mean freeze-thaw phase change water variation in affecting erosion intensity, with a contribution rate of 40.55%. In the area where freeze-thaw erosion was weakened, the average contribution rate of vegetation coverage was 37.69%. The increase in vegetation cover alleviated freeze-thaw erosion, while climate warming accelerated the freeze-thaw erosion. However, the negative effect of vegetation on freeze-thaw erosion cannot offset the positive effect of everage daily phase freeze-thaw change water in the context of climate warming. In addition, in the area where the erosion level was strengthened, the increasing rate of the lowest temperature was greater than that of the highest temperature. This study improved the understanding of the spatial and temporal variations in freeze-thaw erosion intensity and their driving mechanisms on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau in the context of climate and vegetation changes, which may provide a theoretical basis for the control of freeze-thaw erosion on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau.