Objective: To analyze the causes and correlative factors of high perioperative blood transfusion demand in patients with lung tumor, and to discuss the influence of high blood transfusion demand on patients’ postoperative recovery and its predictive factors. Methods: From November 2007 to October 2017, clinical data of patients who had underwent surgery for lung tumors in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were collected. A total of 83 cases with perioperative transfusion of red blood cells ≥5U were classified as high transfusion demand group. Another 83 cases were selected from the rest of the patients with transfusion of red blood cells <5U as normal transfusion demand group. Related clinical and transfusion data were summarized to analyze the causes of high blood transfusion demand and its effect on postoperative recovery, univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyse correlative factors. Results: From November 2007 to October 2017, 23 898 patients with lung tumor underwent surgery in our department and the high blood transfusion demand rate was 0.35%. In the last 10 years, the ratio of high transfusion demand was 0.61%(46/7 503) in the first 5 years versus 0.23%(37/16 395) in the later 5 years(P<0.01). By contrasting high transfusion demand group and normal transfusion demand group, the ratio of thoracoscopic surgery was 42.17%(35/83) vs. 26.51%(22/83)(P<0.05), the ratio of postoperative blood transfusion was 39.76%(33/83) vs. 22.90%(19/83)(P<0.05) and the ratio of left upper lung surgery was 24.10%(20/83) vs. 12.05%(10/83)(P<0.05). The ratio of patients with preoperative comorbidities was 21.69%(18/83) in the high transfusion demand group versus 8.43%(7/83) in the normal transfusion demand group(P<0.05), and the ratio of patients with anemia was 57.83%(48/83) vs. 52.63%(30/83)(P<0.05). The incidence of complications was 39.76%(33/83) in the high transfusion demand group versus 18.07%(15/83) in the normal transfusion demand group(P<0.01), and the incidence of Infection-related complication were 25.30%(21/83) vs. 8.43%(7/83)(P<0.01). Conclusion For perioperative high blood transfusion demand in lung tumors, there were significant differences between different operation approaches, site of operation and phase of blood transfusion. The perioperative high blood transfusion demand may also increase the risk of postoperative complications, comorbidities or anemia were its predictive factors.