Abstract: Background There are vast territory and complex natural conditions in China. Soil erosion area in China is large and its forms are various, and degrees and intensities in different regions are different. Unbalanced economic development leads to different exploitation, utilization, and protection needs of soil and water resources. Therefore, the different strategy, mode, standard of soil erosion control in the corresponding area, i. e., scientific and rational scheme of soil and water conservation regionalization in China, should be considered. Methods Soil and water conservation regionalization could be formulated while taking full account of regional differences in natural conditions and socio- economic development, coupling with national and regional development strategies and the overall layout requirements, coordinating the soil and water conservation needs of the country and local, watershed and regional as well as among departments, and taking into account the natural properties of soil erosion and the socio-economic attributes of soil and water conservation. Thus, the results of regionalization are presented by comprehensively analyzing natural, economic and social conditions, identifying the general idea of soil and water conservation regionalization, building regionalization system and indicator system, using statistical analysis, field surveys and other methods, and combining both managements of “top- down冶and “down-up”. Results 8 first-grade regions, 40 second-grade regions, 115 third-grade regions are divided across the country (not including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions). The results of regionalization have clear boundaries, rules of region’s name, advanced regionalization means and so on. It is mainly used in the partition layout and project layout of soil and water conservation planning, and has guiding significance for the lower regionalization ( partition), soil and water conservation function and technology systems in specific area. Conclusions Soil and water conservation regionalization in China is comprehensive department regionalization, based on soil geology, topography and other natural conditions, socio-economic conditions as well as soil erosion conditions, which scientifically determines the direction for soil erosion control and technological system in different partition, and is a long-term guide of soil and water conservation in China.