Urbanization　has　widely　known　to　directly　consume　swaths　of　cropland　worldwide.　Knowledge　on　what　kinds　of　urbanization　processes　spared　cropland　is　important　for　land　use　planning.　This　study　offered　insights　on　the　impact　of　city　level　(city　hierarchy:　from　the　1st　to　the　6th　Tier　cities)　and　urbanization　modes　(mega-city,　city,　town　and　village　modes)　on　cropland　losses　through　a　first-ever　continuous　national　survey　on　345　prefectural　level　cities　or　above　in　mainland　China　from　2003　to　2016.　We　found　that　higher　tier　cities　were　associated　with　more　direct　and　severe　losses.　Specifically,　over　80　%　of　the　recent　urbanization　formed　on　cropland　in　the　1st　Tier　cities,　and　the　newly　1st　Tier　cities　suffered　the　most　rigorous　losses.　At　national　level,　mega-city　mode　urbanization　resulted　in　direct　cropland　losses　(80　%)　and　the　village　mode　was　associated　with　prominent　high-quality　ratio　(45　%).　Town　mode　spared　cropland　more　than　village　mode.　However,　ranking　with　urbanization　mode　was　less　obvious　and　even　changed　in　the　lower-Tier　cities.　At　national　scale,　around　1.45　%　of　the　total　cropland　area　(approximately　2297　km²　per　year),　including　1.06　%　of　high　quality　cropland　area　(approximately　852　km²　per　year),　has　been　permanently　lost.　The　most　rapid　cropland　loss　was　in　2009　(3464　km2),　and　that　of　high　quality　cropland　occurring　in　2007　(1775　km2).　Over　95　%　cropland　losses　located　in　the　east　of　the　Hu　line.　Findings　in　this　study　called　for　target　adaptive　planning　with　full　considerations　of　city　hierarchy　and　urbanization　mode.　Particularly,　land　use　policies　to　effective　support　land　development　in　small　towns　can　potentially　relief　pressure　on　cropland.　©　2020　Elsevier　Ltd