Diabetes mellitus and lipid metabolism disorders are increasingly recognized as key contributors to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The lipid accumulation product (LAP) index, a novel marker of lipid accumulation, has potential implications for CKD risk assessment. The present meta-analysis aimed to assess the association between LAP index and CKD, with an emphasis on varying impacts in diabetic and non-diabetic populations. A comprehensive search for relevant publications was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases, and a meta-analysis of 17 studies was performed to investigate the relationship between LAP index and CKD. The random-effects inverse-variance model employing the DerSimonian-Laird estimator for τ² was utilized to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs). Diagnostic accuracy was assessed using summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, with calculations of the area under the ROC curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios and diagnostic OR. The pooled OR for the association between higher quintiles or tertiles of LAP index and CKD was 1.098 (95% CI: 1.043-1.152), with substantial heterogeneity (I²=91.2%) and evidence of publication bias. Subgroup analysis revealed a stronger association in non-diabetic (OR=2.422, 95% CI: 1.802-3.042) compared with diabetic patients (OR=1.018, 95% CI: 0.993-1.043). The diagnostic accuracy of LAP index for CKD was moderate (AUROC= 0.64), with sensitivity and specificity estimates of 0.58 and 0.63, respectively. In conclusion, in the present study, LAP index demonstrated a modest but significant association with CKD, particularly in non-diabetic patients. Despite its moderate diagnostic accuracy, the LAP index could serve as a valuable tool in CKD risk stratification, particularly when integrated with other clinical markers.