Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Hubei Province, China and the diagnostic value of Brighton criteria, since there are few epidemiological data on GBS in southern China.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients with a discharge diagnosis of GBS from January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2016 in 45 hospitals in Hubei Province, and the Brighton criteria were used for diagnosis and grading.Results A total of 581 GBS patients (including 336 male patients) were enrolled, with a median age of onset of 51 years; the age of onset showed unimodal distribution, and the patients with an age of onset of 46-54 years accounted for the highest proportion. Of all 581 patients, 296(50.9%) had antecedent events, among whom 176(59%) had upper respiratory tract infection and 43(15%) had diarrhea. There was no significant difference in the incidence rate across seasons (P=0.463). There was a significant difference in the proportion of GBS patients across different regions of Hubei Province (P<0.001), and southern Hubei had the highest proportion. There were no significant differences in sex and age. Of all 581 GBS patients, 28 had cranial nerve variant, 57 had Miller-Fisher syndrome, and 496 had classic GBS; among the patients with classic GBS, 43.7% had the demyelinating subtype and 24.3% had the axonal subtype. There was no significant difference in age of onset between different subtypes. According to the Brighton criteria, of all patients with classic GBS, 31.3% had grade 1, 52.4% had grade 2, 12.7% had grade 3, and 3.6% had grade 4 GBS; among 247 patients with complete data, 62.8% had grade 1, 36.0% had grade 2, 0% had grade 3, and 1.2% had grade 4 GBS.Conclusions In Hubei Province, the age of onset of GBS is mainly around 50 years, and there are more male than female patients. There is no significant difference in the incidence of GBS across seasons. Demyelinating GBS is the main subtype, and there is a significantly higher proportion of patients with this subtype in Hubei than in northern China. The most common antecedent event is upper respiratory tract infection. Brighton criteria have a high sensitivity, and complete clinical data helps to improve diagnostic grading. In the regions with a lack of medical resources, a detailed medical history and physical examinations may help to improve the accuracy rate of diagnosis.