Objective To investigate the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 224 children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, and according to the presence or absence of DKA, these children were divided into DKA group and non-DKA group, with 112 children in each group. The DKA group was further divided into ≥ 5-year group (65 children) and < 5-year group (47 children), and according to the blood gas parameters, this group was divided into mild group (26 children), moderate group (29 children), and severe group (57 children). The factors influencing the development of DKA were analyzed, as well as the clinical and laboratory features of DKA children with different ages. Results The most common symptoms in these 224 children with type 1 diabetes were polydipsia (86.2%), polyuria (78.6%), and weight loss (57.1%). Compared with the non-DKA group, the DKA group had a significantly higher percentage of children who were aged <5 years, who had low family income, or whose parents had an educational level of senior high school or below. The DKA group had significantly higher levels of random blood glucose and HbA1C and significantly lower levels of pH, HCO₃^-, and C-peptide than the non-DKA group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the percentage of children with severe DKA between the ≥ 5-year group and the < 5-year group (P > 0.05). Compared with the < 5-year group, the ≥ 5-year group sufferred from symptoms for a significantly prolonged period, and had a significantly lower level of random blood glucose and significantly higher levels of HbA1C and C-peptide (P < 0.05). Conclusions DKA has a high incidence rate in children with type 1 diabetes, and the development of DKA is associated with age, parents' educational level, and family income.