Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease that affects the axial skeleton. In this study, we systematically reviewed Chinese AS epidemiological studies from the past 15 years to elucidate its prevalence and provide scientific data for China’s health care system. AS epidemiological research in China was summarized by conducting a literature review. A review and statistical analysis of the literature on the epidemiology of AS in mainland China published from May 2005 to May 2019 were performed via a meta-analysis. We calculated the prevalence of AS and analysed differences by sex, region, and population source using STATA12.0 software. Eleven papers including 122,558 subjects from mainland China were included. Over the past 15 years, the total prevalence of AS in mainland China was 0.29% (95% CI 0.22–0.35%), ranging from 0.42% (95% CI 0.31–0.52%) in males to 0.15% (95% CI 0.13–0.18%) in females; the difference in the prevalence of AS by sex was statistically significant ( P  < 0.001). The prevalence of AS in both southern and northern China was 0.31% (95% CI 0.21–0.42% and 0.21–0.40%, respectively), with no significant difference noted ( P  = 0.816 > 0.005). The prevalence of AS in Chinese military populations was 0.27% (95% CI 0.09–0.45%), and in community populations, it was 0.29% (95% CI 0.23–0.35%). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of AS by sampling resource ( P  = 0.115 > 0.005). The prevalence of AS in China was 0.29% and continues to increase. Sex differences in its prevalence were identified; the prevalence rate was 2.8 times higher in males than in females. Epidemiologists in China should formulate precise scientific investigations to provide additional authoritative epidemiological data for the prevention and treatment of AS.