Objective To analyze the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer patients among permanent residents in Yangpu district of Shanghai from January 2002 to December 2012 and to evaluate the effect of surgical treatment on their survivals. Methods The data of esophageal cancer in permanent residents of Yangpu district were extracted from the database of cancer registration and management system in Shanghai. The temporal trend in the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer was assessed using annual percent change (APC) model. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was performed for survival analysis. Results A total of 1184 esophageal cancer patients were diagnosed from January 2002 to December 2012, accounting for 2.54% of the total patients with malignant diseases. Of those, 878 were males, with an average age of onset of (67.79±12.68) years; and 306 were females with an average age of onset of (75.70±9.80) years. The crude incidence rate was 14.39/10⁵ in males, which was significantly higher than that in females (5.26/10⁵, P<0.05). The standardized incidence rate was 4.67/10⁵ in males, being significantly higher than 1.51/10⁵ in females (P<0.05). The crude incidence of esophageal cancer showed a slight decrease (APC=0.4, P<0.05) from 2002 to 2012; however, the standardized incidence showed no significant change. A total of 1072 cases died of esophageal cancer during this period. The annual crude mortality was 12.79/10⁵ in males, which was significantly higher than that in females (5.02/10⁵, P<0.05). The standardized mortality rate was 3.80/10⁵ in males and 1.34/10⁵ in females (P<0.05). Both the incidence and mortality rates increased rapidly after 40 and 55 years old for males and females, respectively. The median survival time was 0.70 years in total, and 1.19 years in those who received surgery, being significantly higher than 0.59 years in those receiving no surgery (P<0.05). The 1-to 5-year survival rates in all cases were 45.30%, 29.10%, 22.30%, 19.10%, and 17.80%, respectively. The rates in those who received surgery were 66.70%, 47.80%, 39.20%, 32.60%, and 31.30%,which were significantly higher than those without surgery (37.60%, 22.30%, 16.10%, 14.10%, and 12.80%) (P<0.05 for each comparison). Conclusion The 2002-2012 mortality of esophageal cancer patients is close to its incidence in permanent resident in Yangpu District, Shanghai. Both the incidence and mortality are higher in males than in females. Surgical resection can greatly prolong the overall survival of esophageal cancer patients. Early diagnosis and prompt surgical resection can improve the overall survival of esophageal cancer patients.