[Objective] Studing the agricultural water utilization efficiency of 13 provinces in major grain producing areas from 2001 to 2011 in order to further clarify the improvement potential of agricultural water utilization efficiency.[Methods] By using DEA(data envelopment analysis) cross-evaluation model, the article took 13 provinces in major grain producing areas in China as the objects.[Results] (1) The efficiencies of agricultural water utilization were generally low from 2001 to 2011, and had significant differences among these provinces; (2) Provinces or autonomous regions of Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Jilin, Hu'nan, Shandong, Liaoning and Heilongjiang belonged to "low input and low output" type; provinces of Sichuan, He'nan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hebei and Jiangsu belonged to the "high input and high output" type. (3) The efficiency of agricultural water utilization was overall in the "low input and low output" stage and has great improvement potentiality.[Conclusion] The DEA cross-evaluation performed well on the evaluation of utilization efficiency of all decision-making units; The potential utilization increments and ways of improvement were clarified by introducing virtual decision-making units.