Numerous studies have evaluated the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Cw*0602 polymorphism and psoriasis risk. However, the results have been inconsistent. We made a meta-analysis of the association between HLA-Cw*0602 polymorphism and psoriasis risk. Eighteen studies were retrieved, reporting a total of 3419 psoriasis patients and 3297 healthy controls. The associations between HLA-Cw*0602 polymorphism and psoriasis risk were estimated by pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). We found significant associations between HLA-Cw*0602 polymorphism and psoriasis risk in the comparisons of positive versus negative alleles (OR = 4.55, 95%CI = 3.65-5.67, P < 0.00001); positive homozygote versus negative homozygote combined with heterozygote (OR = 14.00, 95%CI = 8.47-23.15, P < 0.00001); positive homozygote combined with heterozygote versus negative homozygote (OR = 5.11, 95%CI = 3.86-6.76, P < 0.00001); positive homozygote versus negative homozygote (OR = 23.03, 95%CI = 13.95-38.00, P < 0.00001), and positive homozygote versus heterozygote (OR = 4.21, 95%CI = 2.35- 7.00, P < 0.00001). In conclusion, the positive allele of HLA-Cw*0602 polymorphism appears to be a risk factor for psoriasis.