Abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the first virus discovered to be associated with human tumors, and its association with gastric cancer has received widespread attention in recent years. In 2014, The Cancer Genome Atlas initially classified gastric cancer into four subtypes based on molecular characteristics, with EBV positive individuals grouped into a distinct subtype known as EBV-positive gastric cancer, which has unique molecular and clinicopathological characteristics. While EBV infection in malignant gastric epithelial cells and the induction of host genetic mutations and epigenetic abnormalities were generally considered as important bases for EBV carcinogenesis, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between EBV infection and gastric cancer risk remain unclear. We here summarize the existing epidemiological data supporting associations between different indicators of EBV infection and gastric cancer and provide an overview of the potential roles and mechanisms of EBV in gastric cancer carcinogenesis, which is expected to offer significant guidance for future studies elucidating the relationship between EBV infection and gastric cancer development.