Background Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) still remains one of the leading causes of infant death worldwide, especially in high-income countries. To date, however, there is no detailed information on the global health burden of SIDS. Aims To characterize the global disease burden of SIDS and its trends from 1990 to 2019 and to compare the burden of SIDS according to the socio-demographic index (SDI). Design Systematic analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 data. Methods Epidemiological data of 204 countries from 1990 to 2019 were collected via various methods including civil registration and vital statistics in the original GBD study. Estimates for mortality and disease burden of SIDS were modeled. Crude mortality and mortality rates per 100 000 population were analyzed. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and DALY rates were also assessed. Results In 2019, mortality rate of SIDS accounted for 20.98 [95% Uncertainty Interval, 9.15-46.16] globally, which was a 51% decrease from 1990. SIDS was most prevalent in Western sub-Saharan Africa, High-income North America and Oceania in 2019. The burden of SIDS was higher in males than females consistently from 1990 to 2019. Higher SDI and income level was associated with lower burden of SIDS; furthermore, countries with higher SDI and income had greater decreases in SIDS burden from 1990 to 2019. Conclusions The burden of SIDS has decreased drastically from 1990 to 2019. However, the improvements have occurred disproportionately between regions and SDI levels. Focused preventive efforts in under-resourced populations are needed.