Abstract: In this study, the statistical data of Xi’an City during the period from 1990 to 2010 and the software of Eview were used to fit the relationships between economic growth and the three environmental indicators (industrial waste gas, waste water and solid wastes) in Xi’an, validate whether the relationships were based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), and analyze the factors affecting the environmental quality with the factor analysis method. The results are as follows: ① All of the relationships between the economic growth and the three environmental indicators fell short of the environmental Kuznets curve, the relationships between the economic growth and the emission of waste gas and drainage of waste water met the inverted N curve, and the relationship between the economic growth and the emission of solid wastes was based on U curve; ② The emission of waste gas and drainage of waste water were in a decrease trend, but the emission of solid wastes was still in an increase trend, and the highest point was not reached yet: ③ The change of environmental quality in Xi’an was mainly caused by economic factors.

Key words: environmental Kuznets curve, emission of waste, economioc growth, fitting analysis, factor analysis, driving factor, Xi’an