The super efficiency SBM model and Malmquist index were used to calculate the water resources use efficiency of prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province from 2010 to 2020 based on global perspective. The Tobit model was used to analyze the driving factors of water resources use efficiency in the two provinces. The results show that there are some differences in the efficiency and variation trend of water resources use efficiency in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and their internal regions. The technological progress index has more influence on the total factor productivity. Regional economic development level, natural resource endowment, industrial development and water use structure will have a certain impact on regional water resources use efficiency, but for different regions,the degree and direction of the impact are different.