Objective  To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients with different profiles, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of DR-TB.

Methods The data of TB and DR-TB patients aged ≥15 years hospitalized in Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University between 2019 and 2024 were collected from hospital information system. The gender, age, occupation specific differences and other epidemiological characteristicss of DR-TB cases were analyzed.

Results In 19 957 hospitalized TB patients, 2 349 (11.77%) were DR-TB cases. The annual proportion of DR-TB showed a significant declineby 8.02% (P<0.001). Multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB)/rifampicin resistant TB cases were predominated (1 260, 53.64%), followed by monoresistant TB cases (907, 38.61%), extensively drug-resistant TBcases (XDR-TB) (123, 5.24%), and polyresistant TB cases (59, 2.51%). Demographically, most patients were men (1 531, 65.18%), followed by the elderly aged ≥60 years (529, 22.52%), and newly treated cases (1 154, 49.13%). By occupation, the largest groups were the unemployed (570, 24.27%), followed by farmers (471, 20.05%), those with other occupations (456, 19.41%), and students (178, 7.58%). The patients were from 29 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities in China, but the patients from Beijing (882) accounted for the 37.55% and the patients from the eastern region (1, 627) accounted for 69.26%. From 2019 to 2024, the upward trends of DR-TB cases were observed in men (66.54%−69.49%), the elderly (14.58%−33.08%), the unemployed (17.57%−30.51%), those with other occupations (6.36%−37.94%), the newly treated cases (35.51%−54.62%), MDR-TB cases (47.29%−69.23%), and northeastern China cases (8.61%−18.21%), consistent with the trends in the elderly, farmers and the unemployed.

Conclusion The proportion of DR-TB cases increased in men, the elderly, the unemployed, those being engaged in other occupations, the newly treated patients, MDR-TB patients, and those from northeastern China. It is important to conduct targeted interventions in populations at high-risk and strengthen the management of DR-TB.