[Objective] The empirical relationships between the occupation of cultivated land by construction in Liangzhou District of Wuwei City in Gansu Province and economic development were demonstrated to provide a reference for arable land protection in the process of economic development in liangzhou district.[Methods] Two indices including the occupation of cultivation land by construction and redefined non-agricultural GDP were used. And decoupling method was adopted.[Results] (1) In 2001-2010, the relationships between the occupation of cultivation land by construction and non-agricultural GDP mainly presented seven kinds of state, they were:strong negative decoupling, expansively negative decoupling, decoupling, and recessive association, weak decoupling and expansive association. Among of them, terms in the state of strong decoupling and weak decoupling covered 40% of the investigated period. Generally, two years were in the strong decoupling state.(2) The decoupling elastic curve generally looked like a M shape. It presented a "the ideal state-deformed state-ideal" cyclical change. And in recent years, development of liangzhou district was characterized by an ideal decoupling state. The economic development has deorbited the former economic growth route that is characterized by the expense of cultivation land resources.[Conclusion] The results elucidated by the improved decoupling method and redefined non-agricultural GDP were exactly the actual situation in liangzhou district.