Objective To introduce an integral classification method of thoracic deformity. Methods From March 2015 to March 2017, 869 patients with thoracic deformity were observed. The patients were classified according to the traditional classification method at first, and then were classified according to the integral classification method. According to the standard plane of the normal chest wall, the chest deformities were classified into types Ⅰ and Ⅱ: those below the plane belonged to type Ⅰ, and those above the plane belonged to type Ⅱ. Then two types were divided into subtypes Ⅰ-a, Ⅰ-b, Ⅰ-c, Ⅰ-d, Ⅰ-e, Ⅰ-f, Ⅰ-g and Ⅱ-a, Ⅱ-b, Ⅱ-c, Ⅱ-d according to the specific characteristics of malformation. Results There were 840 patients included in the classification system, accounting for 96.7% of the total patients, and the remaining 29 (3.3%) were complicated malformations, which could not be accurately described by using a single classification type. Compared with the traditional classification methods, patients with pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum were divided into different subtypes. Poland syndrome did not exist any longer, and Dove chest alone became the type Ⅱ-c. Conclusion Integral classification method is a simple and practical classification method. Since the method directly depends on the characteristics of malformation which is related to the operation, it plays a guiding role in the operation. But its superiority needs to be further confirmed.