[Objectives]  The Coleoptera are the most diverse group of animals in the world and are therefore an important taxon for biodiversity research. Summarizing key revisions of coleopteran taxonomy both internationally and domestically is important, not only to understanding the current taxonomic status of the order, but also to promote research on beetle diversity and biodiversity protection in China. [Methods]  We searched, collated and analyzed taxonomic and phylogenetic literature on the Coleoptera published overseas and within China between 2016 and 2020. [Results]  A total of 18 058 new Coleopteran taxa have been described in the past five years. 16 860 new species, 1 187 new genera, and 11 new families. The number of new taxa, synonyms and articles published during this period have, however, been declining. 2 477 new taxa were described in China during the same period; 2 388 new species, 87 new genera and 2 new families, accounting for 13.7% of the all new taxa. [Conclusion]  Although the proportion of new species and articles published by Chinese researchers in the world has increased year by year, only 39.7% of new species of Coleoptera were described by Chinese researchers between 2016 and 2020. The number of Chinese authors has also been decreasing. In general, research on Coleopteran diversity has been declining worldwide, which is not optimistic for research on this taxon in China.