Estimates from GBD 2017 were used in order to report on the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) because of stomach cancer in 195 countries and territories from 21 regions between 1990 and 2017. In 2017, more than 1·22 million incident cases of stomach cancer happened globally, and about 865,000 people died of stomach cancer, contributing to 19·1 million DALYs. In the high-income Asia Pacific and east Asia regions, the highest age-standardized incidence rates in 2017 were observed, with about half of the global incident cases happening in China. In contrast to 1990, in 2017, more than 356,000 more incident cases of stomach cancer were predicted, resulting in about 96,000 more deaths. Irrespective of the rise in absolute numbers, the global age-standardized rates of stomach cancer (incidence, deaths, and DALYs) have decreased since 1990. The decrease in the disease burden was related to enhanced Socio-demographic Index. Worldwide, 38·2% and 24·5% of the age-standardized DALYs were attributable to high-sodium diet in both genders together and smoking in men, respectively. Summing up, the findings give a look into the changing burden of stomach cancer, which is beneficial in deciding local strategies and monitoring their progress. To this end, particular local strategies should be altered to each country's risk factor profile. Beyond the prevailing decrease in age-standardized incidence and death rates, a reduction in the absolute number of cases and deaths would be possible if the burden in east Asia, where right now, almost half of the incident cases and deaths happen, is further decreased.