Abstract: Clustering can extend network lifetime of wireless sensor networks but uniformed clustering makes the nodes closer to the sink take on excessive energy consumption, leading to the energy hole problem. This study analyzes the energy hole problem and proposes a new non-uniform clustering routing protocol (NUCR) based on layered structure. In clustering phase, NUCR makes the number of clusters in different layers more reasonable on the basis of non-uniformed clustering. In inter-cluster routing establishment phase, the cost function balances energy consumption of different layers. The simulation results show that NUCR prolongs the network lifetime greatly. Furthermore, it makes the cluster size of different layers more reasonable.