Abstract: Exploring the level, development trends and spatial differences of ecological civilization construction in the Yellow River basin has important guidance and reference significance for further advancing the construction of ecological civilization in the Yellow River basin. 21 indicators were selected from ecological background, green economy, living environment and institutional culture to construct the eco-civilization construction indices system for measuring the development level in the Yellow River basin, and the development level and spatial-temporal differences of the 36 National Ecological Civilization Construction Demonstration Areas (NECCDAs) in the Yellow River basin were comprehensively analyzed. The results showed that three indicators related to water resources had high weights, including the proportion of water quality reaching or better than Class Ⅲ of Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (GB 3838-2002), water consumption per unit of GDP, urban sewage treatment rate, which weights were 0.095 3, 0.069 9 and 0.060 6, respectively. Water resource utilization and management was the key factor affecting the construction of ecological civilization construction in the Yellow River basin. From 2016 to 2019, the ecological civilization construction of the 36 NECCDAs in the Yellow River basin made some progress. The ecological civilization index increased from 0.645 3 to 0.735 4, while the growth rate of living environment, institutional culture, ecological background and green economy indicators were 31.22%, 14.08%, 12.68% and 6.69%, respectively. The ecological civilization construction level of the upstream and middle reaches was similar and higher than the downstream in the basin. The ecological civilization construction emphasis of different areas should be different. The ecological protection and systematic treatment of the upstream should be paid more attention to, the pollution control and living environment of the midstream need to be strengthened, and the degree of economic greening in the downstream should be further advanced.