Quantitatively assessing the impacts of Climate Change (CC) and Human Activities (HA) on the alterations of watershed runoff is crucial for effective water resources management. In this study, the Mann-Kendall trend test were employed to comprehensively analyze the variation characteristics of runoff in the YRB in different spaces, the Cumulative anomaly and moving t-test techniques were used to identify the sudden changes in runoff changes, and the Budyko elastic coefficient were employed to quantitatively explore the contribution rate in the runoff variations induced by CC and HA in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) of China, based on the meteorological and runoff data. The results reveal a notable reduction in runoffs across the Upper Yellow River Basin (UYRB) (Z = - 3.06), Middle Yellow River Basin (MYRB) (Z = - 4.56), and Lower Yellow River Basin (LYRB) (Z = - 5.46) from 1960 to 2020. During 1969-1985, CC significantly affected runoff changes primarily in the UYRB (52.85%) and MYRB (60.77%). However, from 1986 to 2020, HA emerged as the main driver of runoff changes across the UYRB (80.32%), MYRB (67.03%), and LYRB (78.58%) over time. This amplification effect may lead to severe water use conflicts and have a profound impact on watershed ecological conditions. Rational planning and optimized land use strategies play a crucial role in mitigating the adverse impacts stemming from runoff variations induced by both CC and HA. Given the scarcity of water resources, their efficient utilization should be accorded the highest priority, accompanied by effective governance measures targeting anthropogenic influences.Graphical AbstractThe attribution analysis of runoff variation, considering the combined impacts of Climate Change (CC) and human activities (HA), is currently a prominent research highlight in hydrology and presents significant challenges. This study utilized meteorological and runoff data and employed various statistical methods, including linear regression, Mann-Kendall trend test, cumulative anomaly, moving t-test, and Budyko elastic coefficient. The aim was to investigate changes in mainstream runoff, identify key influencing factors, and quantify the respective contributions of climate change and human activities to variations in mainstream runoff. The results indicate that the runoff exhibited a notable decline from 1960 to 2020 in the Upper Yellow River Basin (UYRB), Middle Yellow River Basin (MYRB), and Lower Yellow River Basin (LYRB). Based on the characteristics of variation, the runoff variation from 1960 to 2020 can be divided into three stages: the reference period from 1960 to 1968, change period I from 1969 to 1985, and change period II from 1986 to 2020. Over time, the sensitivity of runoff to CC factors and HA factors gradually increased. CC exerted a significant influence on runoff variations in the UYRB (52.85%) and MYRB (60.77%) from 1969 to 1985. However, from 1986 to 2020, human activities (HA) became the dominant factor driving runoff changes across the UYRB (80.32%), MYRB (67.03%), and LYRB (78.58%). Based on these findings, management strategies and recommendations have been put forward for climate change adaptation, human activity regulation, and scientific research investment, offering valuable insights for formulating water resource utilization and allocation plans in the YRB.