Purpose: To measure retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in a population-based setting. Methods: In the population-based Beijing Eye Study 2011 with 3468 individuals, RNFL thickness was measured in a subgroup of 1654 (47.7%) study participants by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (iVue SD-OCT). Results: Mean RNFL thickness was significantly (P<0.001) higher in the inferior sector (131.4 +/- 20.6 mu m) than the superior sector (126.1 +/- 19.1 mu m), where it was higher than in the temporal sector (79.8 +/- 12.2 mu m;P<0.001), where it was higher than in the nasal sector (75.1 +/- 12.6 mu m;P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, mean global RNFL thickness (103.2 +/- 12.6 mu m) increased significantly with younger age (standardized correlation coefficient beta:-0.30;P<0.001), larger neuroretinal rim area (beta:0.26;P<0.001), shorter axial length (beta:-0.21;P<0.001), thicker subfoveal choroidal thickness (beta:0.15;P<0.001), larger optic disc area (beta:0.10;P<0.001), less refractive lens power (beta:0.10;P<0.001), flatter anterior cornea (beta:0.07;P = 0.01) and female gender (beta:0.05;P = 0.03). In this population with an age of 50+ years, the age-related decline in RNFL thickness was 0.5 mu m per year of life or 0.36% of an original RNFL thickness of 137 mu m at baseline of the study at 50 years of age. Mean global RNFL thickness decreased by 2.4 mu m for each mm enlargement of axial length. Conclusions: The RNFL profile shows a double hump configuration with the thickest part in the inferior sector, followed by the superior sector, temporal sector and nasal sector. Factors influencing global RNFL thickness were younger age, larger neuroretinal rim, shorter axial length, thicker subfoveal choroid, larger optic disc, less refractive lens power, flatter anterior cornea and female gender. Beyond an age of 50+ years, RNFL decreased by about 0.3% per year of life at an age of 50+ years and by 2.4 mu m per mm of axial elongation. These findings may be of interest for the knowledge of the normal anatomy of the eye and may be of help to diagnose diseases affecting the RNFL.