Background The global burden of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer (GBTC) is increasing. A comprehensive evaluation of the burden is crucial to improve strategies for GBTC prevention and treatment. Methods The incidence rates, mortality, and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) of GBTC from 1990 to 2017 were extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBD) 2017. Estimated annual percent changes (EAPCs) were calculated to quantify GBTC trends during the study period. Results Globally, there were 210,878 new cases, 173,974 deaths, and 3,483,046 DALYs because of GBTC in 2017. GBTC incidence increased by 76%, mortality increased by 65%, and DALYs increased by 52% from 1990 to 2017. In addition, relatively higher Socio‐Demographic Index regions had greater incidence and death rates but greatly decreased age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age‐standardized death rate (ASDR). At the national level, Chile had the highest ASIR (10.38 per 100,000 population) and the highest ASDR (10.43 per 100,000 population) in 2017. The largest increases in ASIR (EAPC, 3.38) and ASDR (EAPC, 3.39) were observed in Georgia. Nonlinear associations were observed between the ASDR, the Socio‐Demographic Index, and DALYs at the 21 GBD regional levels and at the national level. The proportions of GBTC age‐standardized deaths and DALYs attributable to high body mass index were 15.4% and 16%, respectively. Conclusions GBTC remains a major health burden worldwide. These findings are expected to prompt policymakers to establish a cost‐effective method for the early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of GBTC, reducing its modifiable risk factors and reversing its increasing trends. Lay Summary Although the rates of age‐standardized incidence, death, and disability‐adjusted life‐years for gallbladder and biliary tract cancer decreased from 1990 to 2017, the numbers of these measures increased. Nonlinear associations existed between the age‐standardized death rate, the Socio‐Demographic Index, and disability‐adjusted life‐years at the 21 regional and national levels in the Global Burden of Disease Study. Gallbladder and biliary tract cancer (GBTC) remains a major health burden worldwide; however, the burden of GBTC varies geographically. Establishing a cost‐effective method for the early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of GBTC, reducing its modifiable risk factors, and reversing the increasing trend are warranted to reduce the GBTC burden.