Objective  To analyze changing trend in the burden of skin and subcutaneous diseases among Chinese residents during 1990 – 2019 for providing evidences to the development of health policy.

  Methods  Data on incidence and prevalence of skin and subcutaneous diseases among Chinese residents in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2019 were collected from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019). Indicators including incidence and prevalence number, crude and standardized incidence and prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALY) and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of the indicators were adopted to assess changing trend in disease burden of skin and subcutaneous diseases.

  Results  Compared to that in 1990, an upward trend in the burden of skin and subcutaneous diseases was observed among Chinese residents in 2019, with the increases of 29.33% for incidence number, 27.20% for age-standardized incidence rate, 27.23% for prevalence number, 5.52% for age-standardized prevalence rate, and 14.75% for DALY, respectively; but the age-standardized DALY rate decreased by 0.29%. During the period, the age-standardized prevalence rate and DALY rate of skin and subcutaneous diseases in female residents were higher than those in the male residents; while the age-standardized incidence rate for female residents was lower than that for male residents. In terms of different skin and subcutaneous diseases in Chinese residents during the 30-year period, decubitus ulcer showed the highest increase in age-standardized incidence rate (with an EAPC of 1.078, 95% uncertainty interval 95% UI: 0.826 – 1.317) and in DALY rate (EAPC = 2.202, 95% UI: 0.905 – 3.451); in contrast, cellulitis manifested the highest decrease in age-standardized incidence rate (EAPC = – 1.210, 95% UI: – 1.416 – – 1.019) and in DALY rate (EAPC = – 7.304, 95% UI: – 8.081 – – 7.087); the increase of age-standardized prevalence rate was the highest for acne vulgaris (EAPC = 1.087, 95% UI = 1.052 – 1.110) but the decrease was the highest for cellulitis (EAPC = – 1.097, 95% UI: – 1.289 – – 0.917).

  Conclusion  Among Chinese residents during 1990 – 2019, the burden of skin and subcutaneous diseases was under control but still remained at a high level due to increased incidence rate and prevalence rate of the diseases; special concern should be paid to decubitus ulcer to attenuate the burden of skin and subcutaneous diseases.