Objective To analyze the features of co-morbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for residents in the Yangpu District of Shanghai. Methods According to the data provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Yangpu District of Shanghai, patients whose death ages in medical certificates of death from 2003 to 2011 were ≥ 40 years and one of death causes was COPD were selected. The immediate cause of death (Part I of death causes of the medical certificate) and contributing cause (Part II of death causes of the medical certificate) were collectively designated as non-underlying causes of death. Results From 2003 to 2011, 63 161 patients whose ages were ≥ 40 years were died in the Yangpu District of Shanghai. A total of 8 838 patients died of COPD (underlying cause for 5 678 patients) and the average age was (81.3±7.6) years. Among them, there were 5 555 male patients and 2 783 female patients. When COPD was considered as the non-underlying causes of death, the common underlying causes of death were ischemic heart diseases (33.4%), cerebrovascular diseases (14.8%), lung cancer (14.4%), and diabetes (3.6%). With the increase of age, the proportion of cancer gradually decreased and the proportion of cardiovascular diseases gradually increased (P<0.05), while the proportion of cerebrovascular diseases did not change significantly (P>0.05). When COPD was considered as the underlying cause, the common non-underlying causes of death were pulmonary heart diseases (25.3%), ischemic heart diseases (23.2%), cerebrovascular diseases (13.9%), diabetes (8.8%), and cancer (5.5%). Conclusion Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, and diabetes were common co-morbidities of COPD patients in Yangpu District of Shanghai.