Objective To systematically review the risk factors of tic disorder (TD) in children. Methods Databases including PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and WanFang Data were electronically searched to collect observational studies on children with TD from inception to June 29th 2021. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results A total of 32 studies involving 556 560 children were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the risk factors for TD were as follows: male (OR=2.23, 95%CI 1.08 to 4.61, P=0.03), premature delivery (OR=1.66, 95%CI 1.04 to 2.64, P=0.03), low birth weight (OR=1.27, 95%CI 1.07 to 1.50, P=0.005), history of neonatal jaundice (OR=7.46, 95%CI 1.15 to 48.42, P=0.04), other adverse factors in the perinatal period (OR=2.74, 95%CI 1.89 to 3.98, P<0.000 01), poor eating habits (OR=2.11, 95%CI 1.52 to 2.93, P<0.000 01), long-term viewing of electronic products (OR=2.22, 95%CI 1.31 to 3.75, P=0.003), history of febrile convulsions (OR=2.43, 95%CI 1.21 to 4.86, P=0.01), recurrent respiratory infection (OR=2.63, 95%CI 1.49 to 4.64, P=0.000 8), chronic tonsillitis (OR=2.01, 95%CI 1.31 to 3.09, P=0.001), rhinopathy (OR=1.77, 95%CI 1.35 to 2.31, P<0.000 1), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (OR=5.32, 95%CI 3.77 to 7.51, P<0.000 01), decreased blood iron content (OR=3.68, 95%CI 1.56 to 8.67, P=0.003), family history of TD (OR=6.33, 95%CI 3.20 to 12.53, P<0.000 01), family history of mental illness (OR=2.39, 95%CI 2.03 to 2.83, P<0.000 01), maternal mental disorder during pregnancy (OR=2.49, 95%CI 1.99 to 3.11, P<0.000 01), alcohol drinking during pregnancy (OR=1.40, 95%CI 1.09 to1.79, P=0.007), smoking or passive smoking during pregnancy (OR=1.84, 95%CI 1.68 to 2.01, P<0.000 01), and corporal punishment (OR=3.57, 95%CI 1.52 to 8.34, P=0.003). Parity (second birth and above) (OR=0.41, 95%CI 0.25 to 0.68, P=0.000 6) was a protective factor for tic disorder. Conclusions Current evidence shows that the incidence of TD is related to gender, family history of mental illness, maternal life habits during pregnancy, perinatal history, chronic respiratory diseases, abnormal trace elements, and strict education methods, etc. Moreover, parity is a protective factor for the occurrence of TD. Due to the limited quantity and quality of included studies, more high-quality studies are required to verify the above conclusions.