Abstract: To better realize the coupling coordination of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, we used the entropy weight method to measure the level of ecological protection and high-quality development in11provinces(cities) of the Yangtze River Economic Belt from2013to2021.Then we used the spatial Durbin model to carry out spatial econometric analysis to study the spatial influence of ecological protection on high-quality development.Finally, we used the coupling coordination model to analyze its time-series evolution characteristics.The results show that the level of high-quality development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt has been increasing year by year, but there is regional heterogeneity, and the level of high-quality development in the lower reaches is more prominent than that in the middle reaches and upstream areas.Ecological protection can promote high-quality development and has a positive spatial spillover effect on vicinities.The coupling coordination degree between ecological protection and high-quality development changes from moderate coordination to high coordination.In the process of accelerating high-quality development, the provinces and cities of the Yangtze River Economic Belt should not only focus on ecological protection but also the balance and coordination of regional development.