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It is essential to adhere to the optimization of national land use development patterns and the green development policy for achieving ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. This paper used the undesirable output SBM model to measure the green development efficiency of 36 prefecture-level cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2019. It also used the Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (FsQCA) method to explore the complex influence mechanism of the linkage of various influencing factors on the efficiency of green development. The results showed that: ① The green development efficiency of the restricted development zones in the whole basin showed an overall fluctuation and upward trend, and the green development efficiency of various regions in the basin varied significantly. The downstream restricted development zones had the highest green development efficiency, followed by the middle stream restricted development zones, with the upstream restricted development zones having the lowest efficiency. ② The areas with high green development efficiency in the restricted development zones of the whole basin changed from cluster distribution to contiguous distribution, the effective efficiency areas changed from being concentrated in the upper and middle reaches to the middle and lower reaches of the areas, and the green development efficiency of the restricted development zones on the southern bank of the Yellow River was significantly higher than that of the areas on the northern bank. ③ Each of these factors--the level of economic development, urbanization, environmental regulation, degree of trade openness, advanced industrial structure, and investment in science and education--could not singularly become a necessary condition for promoting the formation of high green development efficiency in the restricted development zone of the Yellow River Basin. ④ Four models were identified as those that could promote green development efficiency in the restricted development zones in the Yellow River Basin. In terms of the different types of cities, the 'environmental regulation + export-oriented economy' linkage model could promote the green development efficiency of agricultural cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. The linkage model of 'basic dynamic + environmental regulation + export-oriented economy + industrial upgrading' could promote the green development efficiency of resource-based cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. The two models of 'export-oriented economy + industrial upgrading' linkage and 'basic dynamic + industrial upgrading + science and education investment' linkage could promote the green development efficiency in the old industrial bases in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. Based on the perspective of configuration association, this paper provides policy suggestions for promoting green development in agricultural cities, resource-based cities, and old industrial base cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]