To understand the epidemiological characteristics of acute gastroenteritis in Beijing.Methods The household interview about the incidence, symptoms and risk factors of acute gastroenteritis was conducted among the respondents selected by multi-stage sampling in 6 areas from April 2012 to Match 2013. Results Totally 10 204 people were interviewed. The average monthly prevalence of acute gastroenteritis was 1.25% (95%CI:1.04-1.47) and the incidence was 0.16 per person-year. The adjusted average monthly prevalence was 1.34% (95%CI:1.12-1.56) and the weighted incidence was 0.17 per person-year. It was estimated that 333.4 thousand cases of acute gastroenteritis occurred every year in Beijing. The disease burden of acute gastroenteritis was heavy in Beijing. In the multivariable model, age, education and season were significant risk factors of AGI. 58.59% of the cases were possibly caused by contaminated food.Conclusion The burden of acute gastroenteritis is significant and the ratio of foodborne cases is high. Further research is needed to estimate the burden of foodborne disease by targeted prevention and control measures.