Objective To explore the predictive value of the global leadership initiative on malnutrition GLIM the European Society for Parenteral Enteral Nutrition Expert Consensus on Malnutrition 2015 ESPEN 2015 and patient-generated subjective global assessment PG- SGA in analyzing postoperative complications of esophageal cancer. Method The clinical data of 128 cases of oesophageal cancer patients admitted to Wuhan Central Hospital from January 2019 to March 2023 were selected and the patients were divided into the complication group 49 cases and the no-complication group 79 cases according to the occurrence of postoperative complications. GLIM ESPEN 2015 and PG- SGA were compared to assess the preoperative nutritional status of 128 patients to analyze the factors affecting postoperative complications and ROC analysis was used to obtain the efficacy of GLIM ESPEN 2015 PG-SGA with the combined data to predict the occurrence of postoperative complications. Result There were 33 cases of malnutrition in GLIM- assessed patients 18 cases of malnutrition in ESPEN 2015 - assessed patients and 19 cases of malnutrition in PG - SGA-assessed patients and the incidence of malnutrition was higher in the GLIM-assessed patients than in the ESPEN 2015-assessed patients and the PG-SGA-assessed patients P<0. 05 . Binary logistic regression analysis showed that TNM staging stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ GLIM malnutrition ESPEN 2015 malnutrition and PG-SGA malnutrition were all risk factors for postoperative complications in patients with esophageal cancer P < 0. 05 . The proportion of patients with malnutrition assessed by GLIM ESPEN 2015 and PG-SGA in TNM stage Ⅲ - Ⅳ was higher than that in TNM stage Ⅰ- Ⅱ. The presence of TNM staging and malnutrition assessed by GLIM ESPEN 2015 and PG-SGA was correlation P<0. 05 . ROC analysis was used to obtain the AUC of GLIM ESPEN 2015 PG- SGA and combined data to predict the occurrence of postoperative complications were 0. 645 0. 568 0. 578 and 0. 716 respectively P<0. 05 . Conclusion Patients with esophageal cancer are mostly at risk of malnutrition before surgery and malnutrition is closely related to the clinical characteristics of esophageal cancer patients which is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of postoperative complications. GLIM ESPEN 2015 and PG - SGA can be used to assess the status of preoperative malnutrition in esophageal cancer and the combination of the three predicts the occurrence of postoperative complications in esophageal cancer with a good efficacy.