Objective To acquaint the treatment compliance and the changes of body mass, blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids and other metabolic indices in the Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes from 1994 to 2009 in order to provide theoretical basis for the management of diabetic patients. Methods Retrospective analysis was carried out on 6330 patients with type 2 diabetes (3085 males and 3245 females). The patients were divided into three groups according to the date of their visiting diabetes center: group 1 (from 1994 to 1999), group 2 (from 2000 to 2004), and group 3 (from 2005 to 2009). Results There were 1253 (19.79%), 1865 (29.46%) and 3212 (50.75%) patients in the three groups, respectively. With the elapse of time, their compliance to oral anti-diabetic agents was obviously improved, and the percentage of the patients taking insulin therapy was increased, and their fasting blood glucose, 2-hour post-prandial blood glucose, HbA1c, and blood pressure were obviously decreased, and total cholesterol was slightly decreased, but body mass index, waist circumference and triglyceride were increased. Totally there were 16.9%, 13.2% and 25.7% patients respectively getting normal fasting blood glucose, 2-hour post-prandial blood glucose and HbA1c. Conclusion In recent 10 years, most Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes have got better control in blood glucose and blood pressure, but their metabolic control is not satisfactory enough. The key point for diabetic management is to strengthen education and intervention, and to pay more attention to self-control and behavior management in the patients.