AbstractBackgroundThis study aims to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of oral cancer by analyzing the epidemiological trends of oral cancer.Materials and MethodsThe data on oral cancer from 1990 to 2019 were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database. The incidence, mortality, disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), and age‐standardized rate as well as attributable risk factors of oral cancer were used for the analysis. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to describe the changes in age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age‐standardized mortality rate (ASMR), and age‐standardized DALYs rate (ASDR).ResultsThe global ASIR of oral cancer showed an increasing trend from 1990 to 2019. ASIR in high SDI regions showed a decreasing trend during the studied period, with high SDI regions having the lowest ASMR in 2019. In 2019, the highest ASIR, ASMR, and ASDR were detected in South Asia. At the national level, Pakistan had the highest ASMR and ASDR in 2019. The increasing disease burden was observed in younger populations aged below 45 during the studied period. Smoking and alcohol use still exerted profound impacts on the oral cancer burden, with South Asia having the greatest increase in the percentage of deaths due to oral cancer attributable to chewing tobacco from 1990 to 2019.ConclusionIn conclusion, there is a large variability in the temporal and spatial burden of oral cancer, and it is essential for priority countries to take targeted intervention policies and measures to reduce the disease burden of oral cancer. In addition, the oral cancer burden caused by attributable risk factors should also receive close attention.