Objective: To investigate the burden of infectious disease of the Chinese population in 1990 and 2010 and changing pattern in the past 20 years., Methods: Results of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010) were used to demonstrate the burden of infectious disease of the Chinese population in 1990 and 2010 and changing pattern from 1990 to 2010 by gender and age groups, including indicators of incidence, mortality, years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL), years lived with disability (YLD), disability-adjusted life years (DALY), and their age-standardized rates using data of the 2010 National Census as a standard population., Results: In 1990 incidence, standardized incidence rate, mortality, standardized mortality rate, DALY, standardized DALY rate, YLL, standardized YLL rate, YLD, and standardized YLD rate of infectious disease in China were 3 067 469 200 cases, 242 669.34 cases/100 000, 824 300 cases, 72.27 cases/100 000, 58 937 700 person-years (PYRS), 3 992.85 PYRS/100 000, 46 504 100 PYRS, 2 932.99 PYRS/100 000, 12 433 600 PYRS, and 1 059.86 PYRS/100 000, respectively. All the aboved indicators were declined from 1990 to 2010, in 2010 they were 3 065 985 800 cases, 224 351.66 cases/100 000, 388 600 cases, 30.74 cases/100 000, 19 492 200 PYRS, 1 440.75 PYRS/100 000, 12 045 700 PYRS, 891.87 PYRS/100 000, 7 446 500 PYRS, and 548.89 PYRS/100 000, respectively. When 2010's indicators were compared to those in 1990, the rates of increase of incidence, incidence rate, mortality, mortality rate, DALY, DALY rate, YLL, YLL rate, YLD, and YLD rate were 56.84%, -9.85%, -33.07%, -61.54%, -27.68%, -58.42%, -32.46%, -61.17%, -16.75%, and -52.13% for 50-69 age group; for ≥ 70 age group, 57.90%, -5.86%, 7.41%, -36.12%, -5.00%, -43.51%, -5.14%, -43.59%, -4.52%, and -43.2%., Conclusions: The burden of infectious disease of the Chinese population was declined from 1990 to 2010; however, the incidence of infectious disease was increased in ≥ 50 age groups.