This systematic review aims to consolidate evidence on the potential of heparin-binding protein (HBP) as an emerging and promising biomarker for diagnosing bacterial meningitis (BM). We conducted a comprehensive search across PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, with no restrictions on publication date or language. Sixteen studies, encompassing a total of 2,032 participants, were included in the analysis. The results consistently demonstrated that HBP expression levels in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood are markedly elevated in cases of BM compared to patients with non-central nervous system (CNS) infections or other types of meningitis, such as viral meningitis. The pooled sensitivity estimate for HBP measured in CSF was 0.94 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.88-0.97], and the specificity was 0.96 [95%CI, 0.90-0.98]. The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was calculated as 327 [95%CI, 96-1,110]. According to Fagan's nomogram, an initial probability of 20% for a positive test result increased to 85% following a positive HBP test, while a negative test reduced the probability to just 2%. The diagnostic performance of CSF HBP surpassed that of procalcitonin in detecting BM. Furthermore, in cases where symptoms of CNS infection are present, HBP levels in blood also demonstrate notable diagnostic accuracy. These findings suggest that HBP holds significant potential as a biomarker for BM. However, further large-scale studies are required to establish optimal HBP thresholds for improved clinical applicability.