Abstract:  The purpose of this paper is to calculate the “consumption-output” ecological footprint account according to the “national hectare” equilibrium factor and yield factor, and to study the ecological sustainable status of cultivated land in the Yangtze River Economic Belt based on the improved ecological sustainability index and ecological pressure index. The results are shown as follows: (1) The equilibrium factor factor and yield factor of “national hectare” show a trend of fluctuation and decrease, with obvious temporal sequence and regional difference. (2) The demand, supply and output of cultivated land in major grain-producing areas are relatively high, while those in economically developed areas in the lower reaches or less developed areas in the upper reaches are on the contrary. (3) All provinces in the Yangtze River Economic Belt give full play to their comparative advantages in agricultural development depending on the resource endowment and function orientation, and the degree of ecological sustainability continues to improve,in addition to Shanghai and Zhejiang.However, the cultivated land is in the state of overloading and utilization, leading to the great ecological pressure. In conclusion, the sustainable development of cultivated land needs to pay attention to the sustainable illusion caused by the increase of production, and prevent the phenomenon of cultivated land quality decline and ecological degradation caused by excessive development and utilization intensity.