Objective: The p53 tumor suppressor pathway plays an important role in gastric cancer (GC) development. Auto-regulatory feedback control of p53 expression is critical to maintaining proper tumor suppressor function. So far, several studies between p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and GC have generated controversial and inconclusive results. Methods: To better assess the purported relationship, we performed a meta-analysis of 19 publications. Eligible studies were identified by searching the Pubmed database. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess any link. Results: Overall, a significant association was detected between the p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and GC risk (Pro-allele vs. Arg-allele: OR = 1.05, 95%CI = 1.01-1.08; Pro/Pro vs. Arg/Arg: OR = 1.13, 95%CI = 1.04-1.22). Moreover, on stratified analysis by race, significantly increased risk was found for Asian populations (Pro-allele vs. Arg-allele: OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 1.02-1.10; Pro/Pro vs. Arg/Arg: OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.07-1.26; Pro/Pro+Pro/Arg vs. Arg/Arg: OR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.09-2.27). Conclusions: Our study provided evidence that the p53 72Pro allele may increase GC risk in Asians. Future studies with larger sample size are warranted to further confirm this association in more detail.