Objective To analyze regional spatial distribution of respiratory disease in a city in 2012—2014, and to provide technical basis for respiratory health monitoring and priority intervention.

Method According to 88 towns' data of respiratory disease death from the National Cancer Registration of China in a city from 2012 to 2014, the spatial analysis was carried on the GIS-based software.

Results Moran LISA analysis showed that there were statistically significant aggregations on the mortality of respiratory disease in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2012—2014(P < 0.05). High-High pattern areas were town A, Street B, town C of Gaoqing and town D, town E, town F of Yiyuan. Getis-Ord G_i^* analysis demonstrated hot spots regions of respiratory disease deaths mainly gathered in town A, Street B, town C of Gaoqing and town D, town E, town F, Street N, town P, town Q and town R of Yiyuan.(P < 0.05). Kriging spatial distribution chart showed the same trend of respiratory disease deaths each year, with a higher mortality rate in western Gaoqing, southern Yiyuan and eastern Linzi. The spatial analysis results were consistent with the regional distribution of socioeconomic characteristics of the city. The mortality of respiratory disease was higher where the level of urbanization was low with large proportion of primary industry and poor medical conditions.

Conclusions There were statistically significant aggregations on the mortality of respiratory disease in a city. The high-risk areas of respiratory disease deaths were western Gaoqing and southern Yiyuan.