This study evaluates yields and water use efficiency from a productive and economic perspective under different tillage systems in semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Three long-term experiments, initiated in 1987, 1990, and 2005, were conducted at three locations in the Ebro River Valley (northern Spain): Selvanera, Agramunt, and Penalba, with increasing degrees of aridity. The tillage systems studied were intensive tillage (IT), reduced tillage (RT), and no tillage (NT). In Selvanera and Agramunt, conservation tillage systems (RT and NT) outperformed IT in 51 % and 57 % of the seasons, respectively, in terms of yields and water use efficiency (WUEy). In Penalba, NT only exceeded IT in 2010. Results showed that economic water use efficiency (EWUE) was significantly affected by tillage systems at each location (p < 0.001). In Selvanera and Agramunt, conservation systems increased gross margins (GM) by 45 % and 185 %, respectively. In Penalba, due to low yields, IT was economically unviable. Although conservation tillage systems can lead to initial economic losses due to unpredictable yields, long-term benefits were observed, highlighting their economic viability in water-scarce areas. This study confirms that conservation tillage systems improve both water use efficiency and profitability, especially in regions with water limitations.