BACKGROUND: Chronic liver diseases (CLD) continue to pose a significant global burden, potentially exacerbated by pro-inflammatory diets. This study explores the relationship between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), a measure of dietary inflammatory potential, and CLD risk. METHODS: Utilizing data from the UK Biobank cohort, we assessed the dietary information and calculated the DII for each participant. Cox proportional hazards models and Fine-Gray competing risk models were employed to evaluate the association between DII and CLD incidence, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Our analysis included 121,329 participants with a median follow-up of 604.43 weeks, during which 4,018 developed CLD. A higher DII, indicating a more inflammatory diet, was associated with a 16% increased risk of CLD [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.162, CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the potential benefits of adopting anti-inflammatory diets as a strategy for the prevention and management of CLD. Comprehensive dietary interventions may play a pivotal role in mitigating the global burden of CLD.