Objective To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating type 2 diabetes.Methods Related literature was retrieved with a computer. After the data were sifted out from the literature according to the established criteria, they were collected and crossly checked by two researchers independently. The data were input to RevMan5.2 for statistical analysis. Results A total of ten studies were included with a total of 743 patients. The results of Meta analysis showed 1) Post-treatment total efficacy rate was higher in the acupuncture or combined acupuncture and medicine group than in the control group [OR=3.60, 95%CI (2.11,6.13)] and there was a statistically significant difference (Z=4.71,P<0.00001); 2) Post-treatment range of decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) was significantly higher in the experiment group than in the control group [WMD=-1.20,95%CI (-1.38,-1.02)] and there was a statistically significant difference (Z=12.88,P<0.00001); 3) Post-treatment range of decrease in 2-h postprandial blood glucose (2hPBG) was significantly higher in the experiment group than in the control group [WMD=-1.27, 95%CI (-1.47,-1.06)] and there was a statistically significant difference (Z=12.02,P<0.00001).Conclusion Clinically acupuncture or combined acupuncture and medicine is more effective than Chinese herbal medicine or Western medication alone in treating T2DM and has no toxic and side effects.