借助SPSS 16.0和ArcGIS 10.0软件，分析国家级经济技术开发区（经开区）经济规模与空间格局演变及形成机制。研究结果表明：（1）东多西少、东密西疏、沿长江和沿海呈“π字型”密集分布是国家级经开区空间分布的基本格局。（2）全国范围看，国家级经开区经济规模在城市间和三大区域间的差异持续减小，但区域内部差异增减变化的情况不一。（3）全国国家级经开区的绝对经济规模体系由“倒梨型”发展为“纺锤型”，但规模等级空间分布格局较为稳定；相对经济规模等级体系呈现为中部不断变粗的“纺锤型”，极高和极低区在空间上发生东西倒置。（4）国家级经开区规模等级体系的变化，从侧面反映出中国区域发展的均衡程度在不断提高。（5）区位、开发区所处发展阶段、城市经济水平和产业结构特征、区域政策和全国性产业转移是近年来影响国家级经开区经济规模的主要因素。（6）未来中西部地区的国家级经开区将迅速发展，引起经济规模空间分异格局的相应变化。

The spatial pattern and formation mechanism of economic scale of National Economic and Technological Development Zones (NETDZs) in China from 2004 to 2012 was analyzed systematically by using the methods of variation coefficient with the software of SPSS 16.0 and ArcGIS 10.0. Larger quantity and higher density of NETDZs in eastern coastal areas and along Yangzi River and Yellow River is a stable spatial pattern for China’s NETDZs in recent years. The absolute economic scale grade system changed from a pear-shaped to a spindleshaped, but the spatial distribution of the 5 NETDZs classes divided by absolute economic scale kept relatively stable. The relative economic scale grade system changed oppositely, and the 5 NETDZs classes divided by relative economic scale experienced a dramatic spatial distribution change. The absolute and relative economic scale disparities of NETDZs between cities and among regions were shrinking yearly, but changing differently within different regions. To some extent, the change of the economic scale system and their spatial disparities show that the regional development gaps in China are shrinking in recent years. Location, stage of development, the economic strength and industrial structure of its host city and the national industry transfer from the east to the west are the main factors which determine the economic scale spatial characteristics of NETDZs. The rapid growth of NETDZs in middle and western China will cause great change in the economic scale spatial disparities and its spatial characteristics.