The data verification and analysis results for China’s provincial sustainable development index system in 2018 show that the four municipalities directly under the central government and eastern coastal provinces ranked among the top in terms of sustainable development. Beijing，Shanghai，Zhejiang，Jiangsu，Guangdong，Chongqing，Tianjin，Shandong，Hubei and Anhui ranked among the top 10 in this respect. Beijing，Shanghai，Zhejiang，Jiangsu and Tianjin ranked among the top in terms of economy，society，environmental governance，etc. except resources and environment. Heilongjiang，Jilin，Qinghai and other provinces ranked among the bottom in terms of sustainable development. Beijing and Shanghai，two municipalities directly under the central government in the east，and Zhejiang Province ranked among the top three. In the central part of China，Hubei ranked the top and rose from the 11^th place in 2017 to the 9^th place in 2018. Except Chongqing，which ranked 6^th，the other western regions ranked beyond top 10 in terms of sustainable development competitiveness. With regard to five major classification indices including economic development，people’s wellbeing，resources and environment，consumption and emission，environmental governance，provincial regions featured obvious imbalance of sustainable development. The imbalance is measured at the absolute value of the difference between the maximum and minimum values for primary index rankings of different regions. Provincial regions with high imbalance （difference value＞20） included：Beijing，Tianjin，Anhui，Henan，Hainan，Guizhou，Hebei，Yunnan，Inner Mongolia and Qinghai；those with medium imbalance （10＜difference value≤20） included：Shanghai，Zhejiang，Jiangsu，Guangdong，Shandong，Hubei，Fujian，Hunan，Guangxi，Jiangxi，Shaanxi，Liaoning，Shanxi，Ningxia，Gansu，Xinjiang，Heilongjiang and Jilin；those relatively balanced ones （difference value≤10） included Chongqing and Sichuan. Most provincial regions were weak in sustainable development and had a large space for sustainable development.