Aims The prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence (UI) for post‐stroke inpatients remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with the development of UI for post‐stroke inpatients in southern China. Design Cross‐sectional survey. Subjects and Methods A total of 711 post‐stroke patients from neurological units at 8 different hospitals in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, were interviewed face to face. Data were collected by a self‐designed questionnaire which includes sociodemographic variables, characteristics of stroke, and medical history. Results The prevalence of UI among post‐stroke inpatients was 44.3%. By multivariate logistic regression, we found that major risk factors for UI included health care assistant care (OR = 3.935), hemorrhagic stroke (OR = 1.755), mixed stroke (OR = 2.802), parietal lobe lesion (OR = 1.737), chronic cough (OR = 2.099), aphasia (OR = 3.541), and post‐stroke depression (OR = 3.398). Conclusions The prevalence of UI among post‐stroke inpatients is high. Stroke inpatients looked after by health care assistant, hemorrhagic stroke, mixed stroke, parietal lobe lesion, chronic cough, aphasia, and post‐stroke depression were high‐risk groups for UI. These patients should be targeted when planning intervention programs. Neurourol. Urodynam. 34:231–235, 2015 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.