Abandonment of farmland has become a common phenomenon of land use in the world. However, spatial patterns and the driving factors of farmland abandonment at different scales and regions remain ambiguous at the national level, which limits the government to formulating relevant policies. This study is based on the statistical data of abandoned farmland in county level units in 2020, and investigates the spatial patterns and driving mechanisms of abandoned farmland at national and geographical divisions in China. The results show that the abandoned rate of farmland (ARF) in China reached 6.4%. The abandoned farmland area (AFA) of geographical divisions shows northern region (NR) > southern region (SR) > northwest region (NWR) > Qinghai-Tibet region (QTR), and the ARF shows NWR > QTR > NR > SR. There are six cluster regions with a low ARF and three cluster regions with a high ARF in China, which are consistent with the geomorphic unit in spatial distribution. The key driving factors and mechanisms of farmland abandonment at national and geographical divisions are significant different. Agricultural added value (AAV) is the primary factor that controls the pattern of AFA and ARF nationwide, followed by the surface roughness index (SRI). Temperature, the population ageing index (PAI), and AAV are the main factors determining the abandonment of farmland for the NR, NWR and QTR, respectively, while the PAI and per capita disposable income (PCDI) become the main factors in SR among all factors. With the exception of a significant impact of temperature and precipitation on the AFA in the NR, the AFA in the national and other geographical regions is significantly affected by AAV and PAI. The SRI is a key factor determining ARF in the whole country, NR, and QTR. Temperature and precipitation have a significant correlation with the ARF in the SR. The results can provide support for the formulation of scientific farmland utilization policies at multiple scales.