The association between sarcopenia and kidney function remains poorly investigated. We aimed to evaluate the associations between sarcopenia status and kidney function (rapid kidney function decline and chronic kidney disease (CKD)) in middle-aged and older Chinese population. A total of 9,375 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011 were included in cross-sectional analyses. 5,864 participants with eGFRcr-cys ≥60 ml/min per 1.73 m at baseline were include in longitudinal analyses and were followed up in 2015. Sarcopenia status was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) criteria. In cross-sectional analyses, possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia were significantly associated with increased risk of CKD. During the 4 years of follow-up, 359 (6.12%) participants experienced rapid decline in kidney function and 126 (2.15%) participants developed CKD. After multivariable adjustment of baseline eGFRcr-cys level and other risk factors, possible sarcopenia (odds ratios, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.01-2.12) and sarcopenia (odds ratios, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.05-2.12) were associated with an increased risk of primary outcome (composite of rapid decline in kidney function (annualized decline in eGFRcr-cys ≥ 5 ml/min per 1.73 m) and progression to CKD (eGFRcr-cys< 60 ml/min per 1.73 m)). Individuals with low muscle mass or low muscle strength alone also had increased risk of rapid decline in kidney function and progression to CKD.