Data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was used to measure the agricultural water use efficiency of 16 cities (prefectures) in Hubei Province from 2003 to 2016，and analyze the reasons for the loss of agricultural water use efficiency from the perspective of output redundancy. Based on the analysis the temporal and spatial variations of agricultural water use efficiency in Hubei Province were discussed. The results showed that the average value of agricultural water use efficiency in Hubei Province from 2003 to 2016 was 0.45, the overall level of agricultural water use efficiency was relatively low, but it showed a fluctuating upward trend with decreasing input redundancy rates of basic factors such as agricultural labor force, water use and crop sowing area, but increasing input of agricultural chemical products such as fertilizers and agricultural machinery from the temporal perspective. Spatially, the order of agricultural water use efficiency in Hubei Province was western Hubei > eastern Hubei > central Hubei. From the perspective of input and output redundancy, the main reason for the loss of agricultural water use efficiency in eastern Hubei was the excessive use of agricultural water and labor. In the central and western Hubei, it was mainly due to excessive input of agricultural water and labor respectively.