BACKGROUND Laparoscopic major hepatectomy (LMH) is evolving as an important surgical approach in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. The present study aimed to evaluate the learning curve for LMH at a single centre. METHODS Data for all patients undergoing LMH between January 1998 and September 2013 were recorded in a prospective database and analysed. The learning curve for operating time (OT) was evaluated using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method. RESULTS Of 173 patients undergoing major hepatectomy, left hepatectomy was performed in 28 (16·2 per cent), left trisectionectomy in nine (5·2 per cent), right hepatectomy in 115 (66·5 per cent), right trisectionectomy in 13 (7·5 per cent) and central hepatectomy in eight (4·6 per cent). Median duration of surgery was 270 (range 100-540) min and median blood loss was 300 (10-4500) ml. There were 20 conversions to an open procedure (11·6 per cent). Vascular clamping was independently associated with conversion on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 5·95, 95 per cent c.i. 1·24 to 28·56; P = 0·026). The CUSUMOT learning curve was modelled as a parabola (CUSUMOT  = 0·2149 × patient number(2)  - 30·586 × patient number - 1118·3; R(2)  = 0·7356). The learning curve comprised three phases: phase 1 (45 initial patients), phase 2 (30 intermediate patients) and phase 3 (the subsequent 98 patients). Although right hepatectomy was most common in phase 1, a significant decrease was observed from phase 1 to 3 (P = 0·007) in favour of more complex procedures. CONCLUSIONS The learning curve for LMH consisted of three characteristic phases identified by CUSUM analysis. The data suggest that the learning phase of LMH included 45 to 75 patients.