Evaluate relative risk of listeriosis for sensitive population in China among selected categories of ready-to-eat foods at retail.Methods Relative risk for per serving and per annum of 5 major kinds, 17 categories ready-to-eat food were estimated by using food contamination data of Listeria monocytogenes during 2010-2013 from National Surveillance Network, consumption data from Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002, and number of population from China Statistical Yearbook in 2011. Results Ready-to-eat raw fish has the highest per serving risk of listeriosis among all the selected food categories, and loose packaged meat products also have very high risk. Ready-to-eat bean curd skin has the highest per annum risk among all the food categories. For same category of meat products, risk of listeriosis for loose packaged products was 4-10 times higher than the prepackaged ones.Conclusion Ready-to-eat raw fish and loose packaged meat products have relatively higher per serving risk of listeriosis for sensitive population and ready-to-eat bean curd skin has relatively higher per annum risk of listeriosis.