Abstract: From the perspective of water consumption quantify human's consumption of water resources, and to evaluate the level and efficiency of water resources has a realistic significance to the sustainable development of water resource. Calculate the water footprint of Xinjiang for 2012 based on water input-output method,it shows that: the total water footprint was 29.25 billion m³, per capital water footprint is 12.84 m³. Virtual water consumption in the total water footprint is 28.00 billion m³,72.20% of which used for residents and government consumption, 27.80% for capital formation. The self-sufficiency rate of water footprint is 80.56%, showing that the dependence of the internal water footprint is higher. The water economic value is 25.66 yuan per m³, water footprint value conversion ratio is 3.31, the water resources economic benefit is lower. The water resource pressure index is 0.68, more than 60% of which is derived from the virtual water flow out.Water resources sustainable utilization of water resources in Xinjiang are available from adjusting the residents' consumption structure to reduce water footprint, and optimizing the structure of virtual water trade to play the role to balance the contradiction between supply and demand of water resources and adjust function to improve water use efficiency.

Key words: water resources, water footprint, virtual water, input-output analysis, Xinjiang