IntroductionDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is the primary retinal vascular complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness. It affects the global diabetic population. In Ethiopia, about one-fifth of diabetic patients were affected by DR, but there were inconsistent finding across studies about the determinants factors of DR. Therefore, we aimed to identify the risk factors for DR among diabetic patients.MethodsWe have accessed previous studies through an electronic web-based search strategy using PubMed, Google (Scholar), the Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library with a combination of search terms. The quality of each included article was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Assessment Scale. All statistical analyses were carried out using Stata version 14 software. The odds ratios of risk factors were pooled using a fixed-effect meta-analysis model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane Q statistics and I-Square (I2). Furthermore, publication bias was detected based on the graphic asymmetry test of the funnel plot and/or Egger’s test (p< 0.05).ResultsThe search strategy retrieved 1285 articles. After the removal of duplicate articles, 249 articles remained. Following further screening, about 18 articles were assessed for eligibility, of which three articles were excluded because of reporting without the outcome of interest, poor quality, and not full text. Finally, fifteen studies were reviewed for the final analysis. Co-morbid hypertension (HTN) (AOR 2.04, 95%CI: 1.07, 3.89), poor glycemic control (AOR = 4.36, 95%CI: 1.47, 12.90), and duration of diabetes illness (AOR = 3.83, 95%CI: 1.17, 12.55) were found to be confirmed associated factors of diabetic retinopathy.ConclusionIn this study, co-morbid HTN, poor glycemic control, and longer duration of diabetes illness were found to be the determinant factors of DR. Aggressive treatment of co-morbid HTN and blood glucose, and regular eye screening should be implemented to reduce the occurrence of DR.Trial registrationThe review protocol was registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) with registration number PROSPERO:CRD42023416724.