Abstract: The method of material flow analysis (MFA) has been applied to study t he material input and output throughout the Chinese economy system from 1985 to 1997. The results are shown as follows: (a) The total input and output volumes o f solid and gaseous materials represented a similar increase trend, whereas the volumes of tap water supply and domestic sewage discharge in urban areas follow a statistical relationship of multinomial. Thus, the material input volume of an economy system can be used to determine the material output volume to a certain extent. Therefore, controlling resource input is an effective means for decreasing pollutant output. (b) The input and output volumes of solid and gaseous materials per capita showed also an increase trend，in which the discharge volumes o f waste gases and solid waste per capita increased rapidly. Moreover, the annual growth rates of material input and output volumes were obviously larger than those of population in the study period. So, not only natural resource consumption but also air and soil pollution were accelerated along with the growth of population. (c) Both material input and output volumes per GDP, including water consumption and wastewater discharge decreased, which indicates that the efficiency of resource use of the Chinese economy system enhanced significantly.

Key words: material input and output volume, material input and output intensity, material input and output efficiency, Susstainability

摘要： 利用物质流分析方法，对1985-1997年我国经济系统的物质输入与输出进行了研究。结果表明：(1)固体和气体物质输入与输出总量呈相似的增长趋势，而自来水供应量和城市生活污水排放量之间遵循多项式的统计关系，因此，经济系统的物质输入量可以在一定程度上决定物质输出量，控制经济系统的资源投入量是减少污染物排放量的一种有效途径；(2)人均固体和气体物质输入与输出量也呈增长的趋势，其中，人均废气和固体废弃物的排放量增长迅速。此外，人均物质输入与输出量的年增长率明显大于同期人口的年增长率。由此可见 ，随着人口的增加，自然资源消耗在加速增长，而大气与土壤环境的污染在加速恶化；(3)创造单位GDP的物质输入量和输出量（包括水的消耗量和污水排放量）均呈下降的趋势，反映出我国经济系统的资源利用效率明显提高。

关键词: 物质输入与输出量, 物质输入与输出强度, 物质输入与输出效率, 可持续性