Abstract: Using city-level invention patent authorization data published in the CNRDS database from 2000 to 2019, this paper examines the spatial differences and convergence of innovation development in the Yangtze River Delta region. The Dagum Gini coefficient and its decomposition results show that: （1）The overall difference of innovation development in the Yangtze River Delta region shows a gradual downward trend from 2000 to 2019, with the largest difference in innovation development in Anhui Province and the smallest in Jiangsu Province;（2）Inter-provincial differences are the main source of differences in innovation development in the Yangtze River Delta, accounting for about 70% of the overall differences in innovation and development in the Yangtze River Delta;（3）The analysis of the convergence mechanism shows that the innovation and development of the Yangtze River Delta region has typical  β convergence and club convergence characteristics; the overall sample has significant σ convergence characteristics, but the provincial sample σ convergence characteristics are not obvious. The conclusions of this paper are of great significance for narrowing the spatial differences of innovation development and promoting the diffusion and radiation of innovation agglomeration development in the Yangtze River Delta.