Raw data and calculated result data

China’s resources distribution and economic growth follow a mismatched spatial pattern, with water resources concentrated in the south and arable land and energy reserves in the north. This has led to a growing flow of virtual water (VW) through inter-regional trade from the north to the south, exacerbating resource and environmental challenges and opportunity costs in water-outflow areas. Although extensive research has been conducted on this hotspot issues, few attentions have been given to the full range quantification of VW flow (blue and green water) and its associated side effects assessment, as well as the root-causes. Here, we innovatively integrate green water flow into the inter-regional input-output model to comprehensively analyze water footprints of typical eight regions’ social-economic system across China, and also examines the evolution of blue and green VW flows accompanying commodity trade and their economic and environmental impacts.