Abstract: Taking the stiffness ratio, the post-yield stiffness coefficient, the yield displacement of the isolation layer, the friction coefficient, the mass ratio and the natural period of the superstructure as the influencing factors, sensitivity analysis of the total earthquake input energy is carried out for rural building structures supported on sliding base-isolation systems. In the sensitivity analysis, the orthogonal experiment method is adopted, and the total earthquake input energy is treated as the only response index. The present study shows that the sensitivity of the total earthquake input energy always depends on the amplitudes of earthquake motions and the engineering site conditions in the whole parameter range of concern, and the natural period of the superstructure exhibits a demonstrable effect on the total input energy. The engineering site condition shows the lowest effect on the total earthquake input energy when the natural period of the superstructure is about 0.1s. The total input energy has a nearly linear relationship with the friction coefficient in the case of large amplitudes of earthquake motions. It is also discovered that the stiffness ratio, the yield displacement of the isolation layer, the post-yield stiffness coefficient and the mass ratio have relatively weak effect on the total input energy when the rural building structures supported on sliding base-isolation systems are subjected to severe ground motions.