Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized with high blood sugar levels, which is induced by a variety of factors, such as genetic factors, environmental factors, behavior and life styles, and other factors. Its pathological mechanism is insufficient insulin secretion or insulin resistance caused by structural damage and/or dysfunction of islet β-cell. Evidence shows that China has become the country with the largest number of DM patients in the world. Many nationwide epidemiological surveys concerning DM indicated that its prevalence increases gradually, and varies among different regions and population. To understand the present status of the epidemiological survey on DM research in China and to provide references for the corresponding prevention and control strategies, we reviewed the reports on national large-scale investigation and epidemiological trends related with DM prevalence in China.