Malignant glioma is the most common cancer type of the nervous system and the mechanisms driving the occurrence and development remain unclear, preventing effective treatment of this disease. Therefore, novel and efficient therapies for glioma are required. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non‑coding RNAs that act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in human cancer. In the present study, it was confirmed that Yin Yang‑1 (YY1), a transcription factor that is part of the polycomb group protein (PcG) family, is a direct target of miR‑218 in human glioma cells. It was demonstrated that YY1 promoted glioma cell proliferation and miR‑218 could inhibit glioma cell proliferation by targeting YY1, and indirectly reduced the degradation of p53. Together the results indicate that miR‑218 functions as a tumor suppressor in human glioma and suggest that overexpression of miR‑218 may be a potential strategy for the treatment of human glioma in the future.