The coastal zone is not only the most active natural area on the Earth’s surface but also the area with the most superior resources and environmental conditions. The sustainable development of the coastal ecological environment is closely related to the survival and development of human beings. In recent centuries, the coastal landscape has undergone tremendous changes with a massive increase in human population in the coastal areas. Therefore, it is urgent to identify the specific driving factors that affect coastal landscape changes to achieve sustainable management of coastal landscapes. In this paper, the Ningde Coastal Zone in China is selected as a case study. The study focuses on the impact of socio-economic and policy factors on coastal landscape changes and identifies the differences in the impact of various socio-economic factors on coastal landscape changes based on remote sensing data and statistical data. The results show that population, economy, consumption, and technology are the main driving factors affecting coastal landscape changes. The ranking of the impact of these factors on the coastal zone follows the order population>economy>consumption>technology. The influence of these driving factors on coastal landscapes continues to increase. In addition to socio-economic driving factors, policies are also one of the driving factors affecting coastal landscape changes.