[Objective] The land use transformation structure, spatial characteristics and ecological environmental effects of the production-living-ecological space in the Yellow River basin were studied, in order to balance land resource development and ecological environmental protection, and provide decision-making for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. [Methods] Taking Yellow River basin as the study area, the land transformation was analyzed by using spatial analysis and mapping functions of ArcGIS platform, ecological environment quality index and the contribution index of land use transition to the ecological environment. [Results] ① From 2000 to 2020, the land use structure showed that production land area was decreasing, ecological land remains relatively stable and living land area was increasing. ② In 2000, 2010 and 2020, the eco-environmental quality index of the Yellow River basin was 0.450 2, 0.450 5 and 0.456 7 respectively and showed a stable upward trend. ③ There were obvious differences in the spatial distribution of the ecological environment quality index from 2000 to 2020, and the overall trend was increasing from the southeast to the north. ④ From 2000 to 2020, forage ecological land contributed the most to the ecological environment quality of the Yellow River basin. In last two decades, there existed two trends of deterioration and improvement of ecological environment, and the latter was more than the former. Consequently, ecological environment of Yellow River basin had been improved. [Conclusion] The occupation of agricultural production land by urban and rural living land, and industrial and mining production land is the main factor that caused eco-environmental deterioration in the Yellow River basin. The decision makers should rationally plan the production-living-ecological spaces and optimize the spatial allocation of land resources, so as to promote the major national strategy for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin.