Recently, tumour budding (TB) has been suggested as a strong prognostic marker in oesophageal cancer. The aim of this systematic review is to test the prognostic value of TB in oesophageal cancer by a meta-analysis of previously published studies. We systematically reviewed the literature related to TB by using the bibliographic databases of Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. The search was limited to publications in the English language up to and including December 2014. There are 11 retrospective studies in which TB has been evaluated in oesophageal cancer. Two authors independently extracted the results from eligible studies. The meta-analysis of eligible studies revealed that TB is a significant prognosticator for overall survival in oesophageal cancer, with a risk ratio (RR) of 2.97 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81-4.85; P = 0.0023] in univariate analysis, and with an RR of 2.07 (95% CI 1.22-3.52; P = 0.017) in multivariate analysis. We conclude that a high TB score is a promising prognostic marker of poor survival in oesophageal cancer. Because of its simplicity, reproducibility and high predictive power, TB is strongly recommended to be included in the routine pathology report of oesophageal cancer.