Abstract: The common two-dimensional(2D)methods for the driving forces of landslides don't consider the lateral variation and confinements,which can make the stabilization design un-precisely.Three-dimensional(3D)method can reflect the spatial distribution of the driving force of landslide.So it can resolve the problem of 2D methods.This paper provides a general formula for calculating the driving force of 3D landslide.It is based on the method of the general form of 3D equilibrium proposed by the authors. The paper presents case studies and a comparison between the 2D and 3D methods. Then,it obtains a distribution function of the lateral variation. This function reflects the spatial distribution of the driving force of 3D landslides,and makes slope stabilization design more reasonable.