Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has been determined to be the most lethal lung malignancy. Few studies have previously analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of SCLC in China. This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of SCLC aiming to provide a reference for the prevention of SCLC in Hebei Province. Methods The epidemiological characteristics of SCLC using lung cancer data based on population and hospital cancer registries in Hebei Province between 2008 and 2017 were analyzed. Results The proportion of both population- and hospital-based SCLC cases displayed a significant increasing trend. Moreover, the proportion of males was higher than that for female based on population- and hospital-based cases. The proportion of hospital-based SCLC cases in counties was higher than that in cities, whereas there were no significant regional differences between cities and counties based on population. The proportion of both population- and hospital-based SCLC cases decreased consistently with increasing age. There was a difference between population- and hospital-based distribution of subcategories of SCLC. Conclusions Significant increases in the proportion of both population- and hospital-based SCLC cases over recent years, particularly in males and in patients aged over 55 years, were observed. Research on the pathogenesis of SCLC in these patients and prevention is urgently required.