Abstract: Objective To understand the disease burden of diarrhea in China in 1990 and 2010 and compare the difference between the two years. Methods The data of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010) were used, the burden of diarrhea for Chinese population in 1990 and 2010 were analyzed and gender and age specific morbidity, mortality, years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL), years lived with disability (YLD), disability adjusted life years (DALY) were calculated by using data of 2010 national census as standard. Results In 2010, a total of 886000955.60 cases of diarrhea, including 4364.14 deaths were reported in China, the standardized morbidity and the standardized mortality were 71009.26/lakh and 0.37/lakh, respectively and the related DALY, standardized DALY, YLL, standardized YLL, YLD, and standardized YLD were 226660.71 person years (PYRS), 24.66 PYRS/lakh, 1070780.40 PYRS, 97.96 PYRS/lakh, 1297441.10 PYRS, and 122.62 PYRS/lakh, respectively. Compared with 1990, the above mentioned indicator values decreased by 6.94%, 14.24%, 95.17%, 93.90%, 18.81%, 14.43%, 78.43% and 76.35%, respectively, in 2010. The burden of diarrheal diseases was heavy in children aged 5 years, and Rotavirus enteritis was the major disease, Enterotoxigenic E. coli infection was the major disease in people both aged 5-69 years and aged 70 years. Conclusion Compared with 1990, all the values of indicators showing the burden of diarrheal diseases in Chinese declined significantly in 2010.Children aged 5 years was the key population in diarrheal disease prevention and control.