Objective: Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) can be used for survival predication in patients with esophageal cancer (EC). However, the prognostic value of PNI in EC is inconclusive in accordance to the literature. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prediction value of PNI in EC.Methods: Studies focus on the association of PNI and EC were retrieved from the electronic databases. Standard meta-analysis methods were used for data evaluation.Results: Our search yield 12 studies, involving 3118 patients with EC for data analysis. The pooled data suggested that low PNI was correlated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.11-1.50, P = 0.001) and cancer-specific survival (HR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.68-2.83, P < 0.0001). Moreover, lower PNI was associated with unfavorable prognostic factors (the presence of lymph node metastasis, deeper tumor invasion and advanced TNM stages).Conclusion: The lower PNI was correlated with unfavorable prognostic factor and poor prognosis in patients with EC.