Objective To investigate and analyze the distribution of rheumatic diseases among the elderly patients in the rheumatology department in a tertiary hospital. Methods A total of 2360 inpatients in the Department of Rheumatology and Allergy of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University were selected for the study, who were divided into the young and middle-aged group (<60 years, n=1293) and the elderly group (≥60 years, n=1067). Data were recorded about their gender, age, discharge diagnosis, admission time, discharge time, and complications. SPSS statistics 21.0 was used for data analysis, and the difference between groups was analyzed with the four-fold table χ² test. Results The proportion of males with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in the elderly group was higher than that in the young and middle-aged groups. The proportion of females with gout in the elderly group was higher than that in the young and middle-aged groups. The proportion of the males and females with dermatomyositis and severe osteoarthritis in the elderly population was opposite to that in the young and middle-aged group. There was no elderly male patients with arteritis and systemic sclerosis. Conclusion The distribution of rheumatism in the elderly is different from that in the young and middle-aged, and the distribution of rheumatism in different genders has its own characteristics. In the clinical practice, attention should be paid to the distribution of rheumatism in the elderly, which is helpful for a better understanding of the characteristics of rheumatism in the elderly.