[Objective]By analyzing the evolution path, spatiotemporal variation characteristics, and driving mechanisms of farmland non agriculturalization in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration over the past 30 years, theoretical basis is provided for the protection and precise management of farmland resources in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration.[Methods] Based on the land use data and statistical yearbook data of the Central Yunnan urban agglomeration, the paper uses methods such as gravity displacement model, change trajectory model, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and principal component analysis to reveal the process and spatial distribution characteristics of farmland conversion to non-agricultural uses in the Central Yunnan urban agglomeration from 1990 to 2020, as well as the main driving factors.[Results] The results indicate that:(1) From a temporal perspective, the non agricultural area of cultivated land in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration has shown a fluctuating downward trend, with the most drastic changes affected by policies, economy, and urbanization around 2000. From a spatial perspective, the non-agricultural conversion of cultivated land is concentrated in the central, eastern, southeastern, and northeastern regions of the central Yunnan urban agglomeration.(2) Over the past three decades, farmland converted to non-agricultural land in the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration has tended to be balanced in spatial distribution, with smaller differences in farmland conversion between regions and a stable spatial pattern overall, generally exhibiting a trend of migration to the southwestern region.(3) The main destinations for farmland converted to non-agricultural land in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration are forestland and grassland, with a small portion converted into construction land, mainly in the central, northern, and southeastern parts as well as in some local areas of the northwest.(4) There is a significant spatial clustering effect in the non-agricultural transformation of cultivated land in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration, mainly characterized by high high clustering and low low clustering. High high clustering is mainly distributed in the central, northern, and southeastern regions, while low low clustering is mainly distributed in the northwest, western, and southwestern regions.(5) The non agriculturalization of cultivated land in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration is influenced by both socio-economic and natural conditions. The state-owned fixed asset investment, agricultural population, and urbanization rate are the main driving factors for the non-agricultural expansion of farmland in the social economy, while natural factors such as annual precipitation and temperature play a crucial role in the spatial distribution and expansion process of non-agricultural farmland.[Conclusion] The results have revealed the spatiotemporal change characteristics, evolution path, and driving mechanisms of farmland converted to non-agricultural land in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration over the past 30 years. The research results reveal the spatial and temporal characteristics, evolution path, and driving mechanism of cultivated land conversion in the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration over the past 30 years. It plays an important role in rational utilization and protection of arable land resources and ensuring food security in Yunnan Province, and to a certain extent, it can provide decision-making reference for the protection and optimization of arable land layout in the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration.