The aim of our study was to estimate the female breast cancer burden and mortality trends in Hebei Province, China. Eight population-based cancer registries in Hebei Province submitted cancer data to the Hebei Provincial cancer Registry Centre. All data were reviewed for quality and compiled for cancer statistics in 2011. The pooled data were stratified by area (urban/rural) and age group (0-4, 5-9, aEuro broken vertical bar, 80+ years). Incidence and mortality rates were calculated and expressed per 100,000 persons. Proportions and ranks for breast cancer were calculated. Mortality data from 1973 to 1975, 1990 to 1992, and 2004 to 2005 were extracted from the national death surveys. Mortality and incidence data from Cixian and Shexian were obtained from population-based cancer registries in each county. The estimated numbers of newly diagnosed breast cancer cases and deaths from 2010 to 2011 were 26,028 and 5472, respectively. The CIR was 36.6/100,000. The ASIRW was 27.7/100,000, ranking the highest among all female cancers. The CMR was 7.7/100,000, and the ASMRW was 6.0/100,000, ranking fifth in female mortality. The ASMRW displayed an increasing trend in Hebei Province from 1973-1975 to 2010-2011, with a 53.7 % increase. In Cixian, the incidence rate increased with an annual percentage change (APC) of 7.7 %, and the mortality rate increased with an APC of 3.8 % from 1988 to 2011. Similar trends were observed for the incidence and mortality rates in Shexian, with APCs of 20.1 % and 11.0 %, respectively, from 2000 to 2011. Hebei Province experienced a heavy burden of breast cancer. The mortality rates increased during the past 40 years and the incidence and mortality trends may continue to increase in the next few years.