Abstract: Biochar is a potential source for improving soil fertility and crop yield by enhancing phosphorus (P) availability. But the information on quantitative effect of biochar addition on soil P availability is still limited. To address this query, we conducted a meta-analysis with 507 data from 95 eligible literature. The results showed that irrespective of biochar characters (raw material, C:N ratio, pyrolysis temperature, application rate), soil characteristics (texture, pH, organic carbon content), and fertilizer application, biochar addition significantly improved soil available P content by 57.6%. Meanwhile, biochar addition promoted P utilization of crops. The response ratios of plant P concentration to biochar addition were generally lower than those of soil available P. The average response ratio of plant P concentration was 30.6%. The biochars, derived from livestock manure, low-temperature pyrolysis, with lower C:N ratio, alkaline, or higher application rate, were more effective to improve soil available P content and plant P concentration in sandy and loamy soils. For main enzymes involved in P cycle, biochar addition increased activity of alkaline phosphatase (2.8%) but decreased the acid phosphatase activity (17.8%). Overall, biochar addition positively affects soil available and plant P concentration, but has a minute effect on soil phosphatase. The improvement of soil P availability might mainly be ascribed to a great amount of active P fractions in biochar itself.