Abstract Introduction Existing therapies of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are efficacious only in certain patients. Developing new treatment methods is urgent. This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low‐dose IL‐2 (LD‐IL‐2). Methods According to published data from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, MEDLINE, MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, and FDA.gov, eight trials were included. Results After the LD‐IL‐2 treatment, 54.8% of patients had distinct clinical remission. The SRI‐4 response rates were 0.819 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.745–0.894), and the SELENA‐SLEDAI scores were significantly decreased (SMD = −2.109, 95% CI: [−3.271, −0.947], p .05). Besides, the proportions of Th17 (SMD = 1.121, 95% CI: [0.709, 1.533], p