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Background/aim Postoperative pneumonia after esophageal cancer can lead to additional pain, prolonged hospital stay, and respiratory failure. These adverse events might lead to early recurrence and/or death. We investigated the influence of postoperative pneumonia on the esophageal cancer survival and recurrence after curative surgery. Patients and methods This study included 122 patients who underwent curative surgery for esophageal cancer between 2008 and 2018. The patients were classified into: i) those with postoperative pneumonia (pneumonia group) and ii) those without postoperative pneumonia (non-pneumonia group). The risk factors for the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were identified. The rate of postoperative pneumonia was measured by the revised Uniform Pneumonia Score. Results Postoperative complications were found in 34 of the 122 patients (27.9%). The OS rate at 5 years following surgery was 28.2% in the pneumonia group and 55.1% in the non-pneumonia group (p=0.006). The RFS rate at 5 years after surgery was 18.9% in the pneumonia group and 49.2% in the non-pneumonia group (p=0.061). A multivariate analysis showed that postoperative pneumonia was a significant independent risk factor for OS. Conclusion The development of postoperative pneumonia was a risk factor for a decreased overall survival in patients who underwent curative surgery for esophageal cancer. The surgical procedure, perioperative care and surgical strategy should be carefully planned in order to avoid postoperative pneumonia.