Objective: Here we intended to investigate the changes in corneal endothelial cells and central corneal thickness after phacoemulsification surgery on the eyes of diabetic and non-diabetic cataract patients. Methods: A total of 200 cataract patients who were scheduled for phacoemulsification surgery and intraocular lens implantation were recruited and divided into 2 categories 100 hundred eyes each group . Changes in endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), percentage of hexagonal cells (PHC), central corneal thickness (CCT) were all recorded at preoperative day 1 and postoperative 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. Results: None of the recorded variables showed any difference between the nondiabetic and diabetic groups before surgery (P>0.05). During the postoperative 1 year, ECD and PHC decreased in both groups (all P<0.05) while CV increased, whereas CCT and fluctuated in both groups significantly (both P<0.05), with the peaks at postoperative 1 week in the diabetic group. The groups differed significantly in ECD, CV and PHC at each time point postoperatively (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The diabetic group had more changes in a long time in corneal endothelial cells and central corneal thickness than the nondiabetic group postoperatively.