ObjectivesTo systematically review the current status of cognitive impairment of the elderly in China.MethodsCNKI, VIP, CBM, WanFang Data, PubMed, EMbase and The Cochrane Library databases were electronically searched to collect studies on the current status of cognitive impairment of the elderly in China from January 1st, 2000 to March 12th, 2020. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed risk of bias of included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed by using Stata 14.1 software.ResultsA total of 126 studies involving 187 115 elderly were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the cognitive impairment rate of the elderly in China was 22.0% (95%CI 20.4% to 23.6%). Subgroup analysis showed that the cognitive impairment rate was higher in females, seniors, low education level, residing in rural area, engaging in manual labor, no spouse, living alone, monthly income less than 1 000 yuan, and suffering from chronic diseases.ConclusionsCurrent evidence shows that the cognitive impairment rate of the elderly in China is 22%, which is relatively high in females, seniors, low education level, residing in rural area, engaging in manual labor, no spouse, living alone, low-income, and suffering from chronic diseases.