To clarify the characteristics of main grain yield, import and export, fertilizer consumption, this study analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of total yield, yield per unit area, sowing area, chemical fertilizer consumption and import and export of the five food crops (paddy, wheat, maize soybean and potato) in China during 2000-2020. The data of which were all from the China Statistical Yearbook (2000-2021). The results showed a progressive increase in the main grain yield of China for 17 years during the 2003-2020, the increase mainly presented in higher maize yield in northeast, north and northwest agricultural areas. In the past 20 years, grain crops yield of five crops showed an increasing trend, the highest yield per unit areas was paddy, but the highest increased was wheat (89.9%), while the lowest increased was paddy (12.3%). The sowing acreage of five grain sowing in China increased 10.4% in the past 20 years. Overall, the contribution rates of grain planting area and yield per unit area to grain yield increase in China were 19.9% and 80.1% respectively. In 2000-2020, the four kinds of crops paddy, wheat, corn and soybean imports increased, the highest was soyabean, which accounted for 82.6% of the four crops imports in 2020. The consumption of the fertilizer in China increased first and then decreased, which reached the peak in 2015 for 6 022.6 million tons. The amount of fertilizer application primarily centered in north China and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River accounting for 55.1% of national total fertilizer consumption (51.465 million tons), while the largest fertilizer application intensity were the southeast and north China areas, which was 66.4 % and 25.7% higher than the national average (322.6 kg/hm²) respectively. Above all, in the past 20 years, the total output of major grain crops in China has shown an increasing trend, and the increase of grain yield per unit area was the main contribution factor, and China’s grain products trade changed from original regulator shortage to large-scale soybean import, while the amount of fertilizer consumption in China increased first until the peak in 2015 and then decreased gradually.