Soil erosion (SE) poses a major threat to ecological security of the Yellow River Basin (YRB). In recent decades, land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) and soil property shifts have played pivotal roles in reducing erosion, but the contribution of each factor remains unclear. We aimed to bridge this gap by analyzing the spatiotemporal distributions of LUCC,soil property and SE (calculated by Chinese soil loss equation) changes in the YRB between 1985 and 2020. And We obtained the relative contributions of LUCC and soil property changes to SE. The factors influencing soil property changes were examined via a boosted regression tree model. The findings revealed that cropland areas decreased by 26,458 km2, while grassland and forest areas increased by 17,822 and 7829 km2, respectively. Distinct soil erodibility (K) spatial changes occurred in the YRB, concurrent with an overall 18.49 % increase in the average K value. Significant SE in the YRB decreased by 6.00 x 108 t. The combined impact of LUCC and soil property changes yielded a 33.29 % SE reduction in the YRB. The analysis revealed that LUCC contributed to a 48.92 % SE reduction, while soil property changes contributed to a 25.53 % SE increase. The interaction between LUCC and soil property change further reduced SE rates by 10.78 %The Grain for Green Project and urbanization collectively drove LUCC. The combination of LUCC, climatic factors, and ecological environmental quality provided soil property changes. The research findings offer critical guidance for optimizing soil conservation strategies in the YRB.