This paper was to study the effect of irrigation and rainfall on water consumption characteristics and yield of high yield highland barley in Tibet river valley. In pots, highland barley-25 of Tibet was used as the test material to provide eight water stress treatments: normal water, slight water stress, middle water stress, and severe water stress in two environmental conditions (the whole growth period water stress and the rainwater irrigation after filling stage). Test results indicated that water consumption increased with soil water rise. The maximum consumption of water was at the joining stage and filling stage. And then, the results showed that under rainwater irrigation treatment, the more the soil moisture was, the more the water consumption was. The water stress in whole highland barely growth period reduced biomass and yield. Compared with that of normal water treatment, biomass of slight water stress, middle water stress and severe water stress treatment was decreased by 29.9% , 41.7% and 47.6% , respectively, and yield of the three treatments was decreased by 15.8%, 43.7% and 57.2%, respectively. But rainfall after filling stage was beneficial to biomass and yield of highland barely. Compared with water stress on whole growth period, the biomass and yield of rainfall treatments after the filling stage were increased by 13%, 75.8%, 128.1%, 157.8% and 42.8%, 84%, 201.6%, 269.5% . The results indicated that biomass and yield of rainwater irrigation after the filling stage had compensatory effect for highland barley growth under water stress, and could improve the water use efficiency. Therefore, properly rainwater usage is beneficial to the increase of yield and water use efficiency of Tibet highland barley-25 under water stress.