[Objective] The balance and sustainable status of water resources supply and demand in seven river basins in China were examined aiming to provide a reference for the future development of integrated management and scientific allocation of water resources. [Methods] Using the water resources ecological footprint method, this study examined the water resources ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity of seven river basins in China between 2014 and 2022. The status of water resource sustainability was revealed by using the sustainability evaluation index based on water resources’ ecological footprint. [Results] ① The per capita ecological footprint of water resources in China’s seven major river basins showed a downward trend, among which Songhua River, Yangtze River, Pearl River, and Haihe River accounted for 82.86%, 33.32%, 19.87%, and 12.38% of agricultural water, industrial water, domestic water, and ecological water, respectively. ② The highest per capita carrying capacity was that of the Pearl River at 19.89 hm²/person, whereas the lowest was only 0.03 hm²/person for the Haihe River. Affected by climate anomalies, the ecological carrying capacity of water resources in each basin oscillated considerably from 2020 to 2022. ③ During the study period, the Yangtze, Pearl, and Songhua rivers had a total water resources ecological surplus, with the Pearl River having the largest water resources ecological surplus of 18.21 hm²/person in 2016. The Huaihe and Liaohe rivers went from a water resources ecological deficit to a surplus. The Yellow and Haihe rivers had a water resources ecological deficit, with the Yellow River having the largest water resources ecological deficit of -0.62 hm²/person in 2015. ④ The indicators of sustainable development of water resources implied that the Yellow and Haihe rivers were under greater ecological pressure from water resources and in a state of unsustainable water resources throughout the year, whereas the Pearl River had poor water resource coordination and overall low water use efficiency. [Conclusion] Currently, the balance between the supply and demand of water resources in the Yangtze, Pearl, Songhua, Huaihe, and Liaohe rivers is maintained, whereas the demand of the Yellow and Haihe rivers is always greater than the supply. In the future, water resources planning schemes at the national and basin levels should be established to promote rational utilization of water resources and support sustainable economic and social development in the basin.