Abstract: In the period of 1990~2000, urbanization grew faster in the eastern and southern provinces and rather slower in the western and northern provinces in China according to Census data in 1990 and 2000. Thus the regional disparity of urbanization among provinces has transformed from the former NorthernSouthern pattern to the current EasternWestern. The regional disparities of urbanization in China is comprehensively caused by the different natural and environmental background, population growth, economic development among the provinces and the regional development policies of the central government. Among of those, the regional disparities of economic development and the promotion efficacies to urbanization growth are of critical importance. Further, a factor analysis between the urbanization levels and their 12 selected natural and economic statistical indices is conducted at the provincial level in 1990 and 2000. The results show that, firstly, the urbanization level of a province is positively related with its industrialization level or economic development level and negatively with its population density and per capita agricultural output while the impact of the former factor is more intensive and significant; secondly, with the proceeding of industrialization and economic development, the promotion effect of industrialization on urbanization growth become weaker and that of comprehensive economic development become much stronger.

Key words: urbanization level, regional disparity, causal analysis