Objective  To summarize and analyze the status of cataract surgery and the characteristics of cataract patients in the Shanghai Changning district from 2010 to 2013； to provide data for the future prevention of blindness． Methods  Data from patients and epidemiological characteristics for cataract surgery were collected from the Shanghai municipal disease prevention information management system. A chi-square test was used to compare the results from 2010 to 2013 in Changning district. Results  There were 36 854 cataract removal operations performed in Changning district from 2010 to 2013 with 93.78% of the patients over sixty years of age. Females accounted for 58.88%， which was slightly higher than males. Age-related cataract was the main type of cataract in 97.81% of the patients. Phacoemulsification was the main surgical technique used， accounting for 99.72% of the surgeries， and IOL implants accounted for 99.87%. Conclusion  The cataract surgical rate in the Shanghai Changning district was high up until 2013. Phacoemulsification is the main method for treating cataract.