Objective To investigate the causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB), and some relative factors. Methods The UGB in 1 869 patients examined endoscopically between 1982－ 1996. Results 1.The most common causes of UGB were peptic ulcer (31.5％ ), gastric cancer(19.3％ ), and AGML(17.5％ ), and the rate of severe bleeding was highest in esophageal varices(49.4％ ). 2.Between 1982－ 1986,1987－ 1991,and 1992－ 1996, the rates of UGB were 22.3％ ,12.0％ ,and 13.4％ respectively. 3. The rate of UGB in male and female patients were 17.5％ and 8.9％ ; their difference is statistically significant(P