Objective To explore the knowledge and training needs of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among a health checkup population, and to provide evidence for promoting cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills at physical examination centers. Methods Using physical examination numbers, the random number table method was used to randomly select 1 000 people from a health checkup population, information collected including their basic information, cognitive status of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and attitudes and behaviors toward cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The statistical analysis was performed using χ2test, a one-way ANOVA, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Questionnaires was acquired from 997 consenting adult subjects. From which, 26% had received CPR training, and they demonstrated a low ratio of cognitive knowledge, scoring only 9.94 ± 6.36 (from a possible score of 30). Additionally, 92.1% had a willingness to learn CPR skills, and the CPR performance score was 23.12±3.27 (the highest score was 28). Unmarried people younger than 25 years old, professional and technical personnel, and military men had higher CPR scores than other groups. The CPR learning efficiency of military men, undergraduates, and people younger than 25 years old was higher than other groups. Older people had a lower willingness to learn cardiopulmonary knowledge and the better the feel-good status, the lower the willingness to learn CPR skills, of which OR values were 0.787 and 0.657, respectively (P<0.05). The rate of people learning CPR skills for relatives was higher than for strangers (P<0.05), and 83.8% were willing to receive medical training. Conclusion The health checkup population had a low cognitive level of CPR knowledge, and the willingness to learn CPR was high. To address this, free CPR training should be conducted at medical examination institutions.