Abstract: Based on the land use change pattern map and SDE method, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of cultivated land was studied in China during 2000-2015. The results showed that:(1) the cultivated land area increased first and then decreased around 2000 year, but the gravity center was moving northwest during the study period and the spatial distribution space continued to expand.(2) the area and spatial location of cultivated land changed dramatically from the year 1995 to 2005 and the new cultivated land mainly came from woodland and grassland;the reduction of cultivated land was mainly transformed into woodland, grassland and construction land; the activity of cultivated land decreased and the new cultivated land mainly came from grassland and unused land while the reduction of cultivated land was mainly occupied by construction land during the year of 2005-2015.(3) During the year 1995-2005, the increased and decreased cultivated land were in the pattern of “northeast to southwest” and the spatial distribution of increased cultivated land was relatively dispersed while the spatial distribution of decreased cultivated land was relatively concentrated. The gravity center of the increased cultivated land was moving north-west during 1995-2005. During the year 2005-2015, the increased cultivated land was in the pattern of “due east-due west” while the decreased cultivated land in the pattern of “northeast-southwest”.When it came to the spatial distribution, the increased cultivated land mainly located in the north China, while the reduced cultivated land mainly located in the southeast China.