Carbon balance can signify the alignment or harmonization of regional carbon emissions and carbon absorption, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Human activities exert varying influences and varying degrees of impact on the regional carbon cycle. Investigating the correlation between these factors is crucial for addressing global climate change, realizing regional 'double carbon’ objectives, and devising regional ecological compensation mechanisms. This study takes the Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster as the research object at the county scale. Utilizing multi-source remote sensing and statistical data, this study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution of carbon balance and the intensity of human activities, and examines the correlation between carbon balance and human activity intensity within the study area using bivariate spatial autocorrelation and the Geodetector method. The findings indicated that: ①Throughout the study period, regions with high carbon balance pressure index (CBPI) values displayed a ‘double C’ shaped distribution, centered around Chengdu and Chongqing, extending in a northeast-southwest direction and diminishing gradually, while the southwestern edge of the Sichuan Basin represented a low CBPI value area. CBPI has obvious spatial heterogeneity and aggregation, and each district and county is dominated by carbon surplus and CBPI is mostly declining.② During the study period, the human activity intensity (HAI) of Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster increased significantly (21.2%/a), and gradually evolved from the " dual-core axis circle " city cluster to the " interconnected network " city cluster. ③A robust positive spatial correlation exists between CBPI and HAI within the Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster. The bivariate correlation coefficient, at 0.675, suggests that both exhibit pronounced similar clustering patterns, predominantly 'low-low' and 'high-high' clusters. ④The dominant factors of carbon balance in Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster are mainly human activities, among which economic level and population density are the dominant factors, and NDVI is the main contribution factor of natural factors. The research results are helpful for Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster to achieve the goal of " double carbon, " and provide theoretical reference and practical reference for relevant urban planning and development.