Objectives Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple parameter implying the inflammatory status. We aimed to explore the association of brain-dead donor NLR change with delayed graft function (DGF) in kidney transplant recipients.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data on 102 adult brain-dead donors and their corresponding 199 kidney transplant recipients (2018 − 2021). We calculated ΔNLR by subtracting the NLR before evaluating brain death from the preoperative NLR. Increasing donor NLR was defined as ΔNLR > 0.Results Forty-four (22%) recipients developed DGF after transplantation. Increasing donor NLR was significantly associated with the development of DGF in recipients (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2 − 6.6; p = .018), and remained significant (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.0 − 6.4; p = .040) after adjustment of confounders including BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and the occurrence of cardiac arrest. When acute kidney injury (AKI) was included in the multivariable analysis, increasing donor NLR lost its independent correlation with DGF, while AKI remained an independent risk factor of recipient DGF (OR 4.5, 95% CI 2.7 − 7.6; p