We performed this meta-analysis to assess venous thromboembolism risk in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM). A comprehensive search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane database. Three observational studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the data analysis. The pooled risk ratio of venous thromboembolism in patients with IIM compared with non-IIM participants was 2.85 (95 % CI 2.12-3.84). Our result indicates a significant increased risk of venous thromboembolism among patients with IIM.