Objective To understand the epidemic characteristics of diabetic nephropathy in China and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Methods Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database in 2019 was selected to collect data on the incidence of diabetic nephropathy in China from 1990 to 2019. The characteristics and trends of standardized incidence rates and age-specific incidence rates in each year were described, and the Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze the temporal trend of the incidence rate of diabetic nephropathy in China. Results There was no turning point in the trend of age-standardized prevalence of type 1 diabetic nephropathy in the whole population and women in China, and the annual percent change (APC) equaled the average annual percent change (AAPC), showing an upward trend. The average annual growth rate of the whole population was 1.02% (95%CI: 0.87%-1.17%), and that of women as a whole was 1.21% (95%CI: 1.08%-1.35%). The turning point of male trend was in 1994, 2011, and 2017, with an overall average annual growth of 0.56% (95%CI: 0.20%-0.92%). The incidence rates for age groups under 20 years old showed a decreasing trend (AAPC=-0.71% to -0.12%), while those aged 20 and above showed an increasing trend (AAPC=1.06% to 3.99%), all with statistical significance (P<0.05). The standardized incidence rates of type 2 diabetic nephropathy for the whole population, males, and females in China had turning points in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015, with an overall annual decrease of 0.15%(95%CI: -0.17% to -0.12%) for the whole population, 0.12% for males (95%CI: -0.16% to -0.09%), and 0.18% for females(95%CI: -0.22% to -0.15%). Conclusion The epidemic trend of diabetic nephropathy in China from 1990 to 2019 is still grim, and more attention should be paid to diabetes and its complications. In particular, the prevalence rate of women has been higher than that of men, and the prevalence rate of type 2 diabetic nephropathy in the age group of 15-39 years old, 55-59 years old, and ≥ 75 years old, as well as the age group of ≥ 20 years old with the increasing prevalence of type 1 diabetic nephropathy.Strategies and measures should be promptly implemented to address these issues.