ABSTRACT Background Several studies have examined the frequency of sleep apnoea (SA) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), reporting different prevalence rates. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to define the clinical penetrance of SA in CKD and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. Methods Ovid-MEDLINE and PubMed databases were explored up to 5 June 2023 to identify studies providing SA prevalence in CKD and ESKD patients assessed by different diagnostic methods, either sleep questionnaires or respiration monitoring equipment [such as polysomnography (PSG), type III portable monitors or other diagnostic tools]. Single-study data were pooled using the random-effects model. The Chi2 and Cochrane-I2 tests were used to assess the presence of heterogeneity, which was explored performing sensitivity and/or subgroup analyses. Results A cumulative analysis from 32 single-study data revealed a prevalence of SA of 57% [95% confidence interval (CI) 42%–71%] in the CKD population, whereas a prevalence of 49% (95% CI 47%–52%) was found pooling data from 91 studies in ESKD individuals. The prevalence of SA using instrumental sleep monitoring devices, including classical PSG and type III portable sleep monitors, was 62% (95% CI 52%–72%) and 56% (95% CI 42%–69%) in CKD and ESKD populations, respectively. Sleep questionnaires revealed a prevalence of 33% (95% CI 16%–49%) and 39% (95% CI 30%–49%). Conclusions SA is commonly seen in both non-dialysis CKD and ESKD patients. Sleep-related questionnaires underestimated the presence of SA in this population. This emphasizes the need to use objective diagnostic tools to identify such a syndrome in kidney disease.