Objective  To explore the epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in students in Jiangxi, and provide evidence for the development of TB prevention and control measures in schools.

  Methods  The incidence data of pulmonary TB in students in Jiangxi were collected from TB Management Information System and student demographic information were collected from Jiangxi Statistical Yearbook.

  Results  From 2011 to 2019, the average registration rate of pulmonary TB in students in Jiangxi was 12.52/100 000, and the average registration rate of students with pathogenic positive TB was 3.41/100 000. Over the past nine years, the registration rate of pulmonary TB in students showed an upward trend (χ²=20.793, P<0.05). A total of 9 660 cases of pulmonary TB were registered in Jiangxi, and the male to female ratio of the cases was 1.76∶1. Most pulmonary TB cases were aged 15–19 years, and most cases occurred in the first and second quarter of a year. Referral was the most common way of case finding (4 406, 45.61%), and the proportion of case tracking increased year by year (χ²=67.844, P<0.001).

  Conclusion  In the future, we should continue to strengthen the detection of TB in students, improve the TB screening for freshmen, make rapid response to sporadic cases, strengthen the etiological diagnosis, focus on high school and university students, pay attention to the epidemic in the first and second quarter of each year and strengthen the health education about TB prevention in students.