As Chinas population ages, the management of multimorbidity in the elderly has become a significant public health issue. Understanding the current state of research on chronic disease multimorbidity among elderly Chinese is now an urgent priority. This review addresses the growing problem of multimorbidity in elderly Chinese, focusing on prevalence, disease patterns, risk factors, and demographic characteristics. Current research highlights the significant impact of lifestyle habits and socioeconomic factors on multimorbidity. It also explores the negative effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), longevity, depression, and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). This study provides valuable insights for public health governance and the development of targeted interventions for managing chronic disease multimorbidity in elderly Chinese. However, existing studies lack unified standards and definitions in disease classification and multimorbidity, and differences in study design and statistical methods may also affect the generalizability of the results. Therefore, future research should pay more attention to the important area of multimorbidity in the elderly and should focus on prevention and comprehensive management policies.