[Objectives]  To analyze the current state of research on Bt transgenic rice globally and provide references for future research.[Methods]  Bibliometric methods were used to analyze articles published in the Web of Science database on Bt transgenic rice between 2003 and 2015. [Results]  A total of 291 articles that had been cited 3 475 times were published in 137 journals by 1 057 authors from 270 institutes in 41 countries. Research on Bt transgenic rice includes 36 topics, such as Agriculture, Entomology, plant science, etc. [Conclusion]  The amount of research conducted on Bt transgenic rice is increasing. Many Bt rice lines have been developed in China in recent years and China is playing a leading role in research in this field.