We updated to December 2023 the main findings of the stomach cancer pooling (StoP) project including about 13 000 cases and 31 000 controls from 29 case–control and 5 nested studies. The StoP project quantified more precisely than previously available the positive associations of tobacco smoking, high alcohol consumption, meat intake, selected occupations (e.g. agricultural and miners), gastric ulcer and family history with gastric cancer and the inverse associations with socioeconomic status and selected aspects of diet (fruits, including citrus fruits, vegetables, including allium and mushrooms, and polyphenols). No consistent associations were found with coffee, yoghurt and leisure-time physical activity, metformin or proton pump inhibitors use.