Objective By comparing the focus of acupuncture standards, management modes of acupuncture in certain areas are summarized to provide a reference for institutions and regions when formulating suitable standards for local acupuncture services. Methods Japan, South Korea, the USA and Australia were selected as the representative countries. The standards language were limited to English, Japanese and South Korean. The websites of the national standards bodies and the official websites for the acupuncture association/ institute of these four countries were searched systematically. The laws of acupuncture were included in the study. Results Technical standards made up the most of the standard system for acupuncture in Japan, basic standards accounted for the most of the system in South Korea, while management standards accounted for the largest proportion of acupuncture standard systems in the USA and Australia. Conclusion Japan and South Korea, which use acupuncture mainly due to cultural and historical influences, place emphasis on establishing technical and basic standards. The USA and Australia, which use acupuncture as a complementary therapy, place emphasis on establishing management standards of acupuncture.
