Objective To analyze and summarize the clinical characteristics of foreign body incarceration in upper digestive tract, and to explore the risk factors of its complications. Methods The clinical data of patients with foreign bodies in the upper digestive tract treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including demographic data, foreign body type, incarceration site, incarceration time, causes, symptoms, treatment methods and complications of foreign body incarceration. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors of complications. Results A total of 721 patients were finally included, ranging in age from 3 months to 90 years old, with an average age of 26.76 years. The proportion of foreign bodies in the upper digestive tract in patients ≤14 years old was the highest (51.18%), and the duration of foreign body incarceration<12 hours was the highest (55.34%). The most common sharp foreign bodies in the upper digestive tract were animal bones (228 cases), and the most common round shaped foreign bodies were coins (223 cases). The most common impaction site was the upper esophageal segment (85.02%). 105 patients (14.56%) had complications, and perforation was the most common (5.55%). Logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio (OR)=0.523, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.312, 0.875), P=0.014], foreign body type [OR=0.520, 95%CI (0.330, 0.820), P=0.005], incarceration site [OR=2.347, 95%CI (1.396, 3.947), P=0.001], incarceration time [OR=0.464, 95%CI (0.293, 0.736), P=0.001] were the influencing factors of complications. Conclusions The majority of foreign bodies in the upper digestive tract are animal bones. The incidence of complications increase in patients with age ≥ 60 years, sharp foreign body edges, incarceration in the upper segment of the esophagus, and long incarceration time. It is recommended to remove the sharp foreign bodies incarcerated in the upper segment of the esophagus from the elderly as soon as possible.