【Objective】Content and composition of soil humus are major factors that may influence yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco. Tobacco is widely planted in China in a number of soils, different, complex and verified in soil-forming factor and soil type. However little information is available now in the literature about characteristics of soil humus composition at a country scale. 【Method】In this study topsoil samples were collected from 425 tobacco fields in 47 tobacco-planting areas typical of the 12 high-quality tobacco production regions of China for analysis of composition of topsoil humus. 【Result】Results show: (1) Total carbon of the soil humus varied in the range of 23.18 ~ 6.04 g·kg^-1 with a mean of 13.91 g·kg^-1; humic acid carbon, humin acid carbon, humin acid carbon, fulvic acid carbon and H/F ratio did in the range of 12.23 ~ 3.66 g·kg^-1, 6.17 ~ 1.41 g·kg^-1, 10.95 ~ 2.38 g·kg^-1, 6.99 ~ 2.24 g·kg^-1 and 1.03 ~ 0.45 with a mean of 8.10 g·kg^-1, 3.22 g·kg^-1, 5.81 g·kg^-1, 4.88 g·kg^-1 and 0.72, respectively: (2) Total carbon in humus was significantly higher in Nanling mountain region than in the other regions, but significantly lower in Zhongyuan region and Central Shandong than in the other areas. Humic acid carbon, humin acid carbon and humin carbon was the highest in Nanling mountain area and the lowest in Central Shandong, while humus in Panxi region was relatively high in humin but lower in other components; (3) According to content and composition of soil humus (six indices), the 47 areas could be divided into four groups, differing sharply in humus content and composition.【Conclusion】The tobacco planting areas are quite different in content and composition of humus in topsoil. The areas in South China are higher than those in North China. The 47 areas are sorted into four groups in terms of content and composition of topsoil humus and the four groups vary significantly in humus content and composition.