The research reconstructed the index system for rural revitalization and new urbanization, and used the coupling coordination model, spatial Markov chain, and geographic weighted regression model to analyze the coupling between rural revitalization and new urbanization in 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) of China from 2005 to 2017 in the aspects of coordination level, spatio-temporal differentiation pattern, dynamic evolution of space, and driving mechanisms. The results show that: (1) The degree of coupling and coordination between rural revitalization and new urbanization presents a distribution pattern of "high in the east and low in the southwest"; intermediate coordination areas are gradually spreading to the middle, and the number of high-level coordination areas is increasing. Most of the provinces with advanced coordination type are characterised by "lagging in rural development", and most of them with primary coordination and near-imbalance types are featured by "new urbanization and development lagging". (2) The dynamic evolution of the degree of coupling coordination showed the characteristics of maintaining the stability of the original state, and it was difficult to achieve leapfrog transfer. There is a phenomenon of "club convergence" in the provinces in the advanced coordination stage. The provinces that are shifting upward are mainly concentrated in the central region, and most northern provinces are undergoing downward adjustments. Areas with a low degree of coupling and coordination have a negative spillover effect on the surroundings, while areas with a high degree have a positive effect on neighboring provinces, indicating that the spillover effect is asymmetric. (3) The driving force that affects the change in the degree of coupling and coordination of rural revitalization and new urbanization has a significant spatial difference, showing a development trend of hierarchical band distribution. Government-driven, investment-driven and population-driven forces present a north-south-level band-shaped distribution. Consumption-driven, income-driven, and industry-driven forces present a zonal distribution of east and west levels.