Purpose To evaluate the predictors for short and long term urinary continence (UC) recovery after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) from clinical and oncological variables. Methods We retrospectively collected data from 142 prostate cancer patients who underwent LRP between September 2014 and June 2021 at a tumor specialist diagnosis and treatment center in China. The rate of post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) was evaluated from immediate and at 3, 6 and 12 mo after LRP, and UC was defined as the use of no or one safety pad. Sixteen clinical and oncological variables were analyzed by univariate and multivariate regression analysis to determine whether they were associated with short (3 mo) or long term (12 mo) UC recovery after LRP. Results After eliminating patients who were lost to follow-up, 129 patients were eventually included. The mean +/- SD age was 68 +/- 6.3 years. The UC rates of immediate, 3, 6 and 12 mo after the operation were 27.9%, 54.3%, 75.2% and 88.4%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that membranous urethral length (MUL) was a protective predictor of UC after catheter extraction(P < 0.001), and at 3 mo (P < 0.001), 6 mo (P < 0.001) and 12 mo (P = 0.009) after surgery. Conclusion MUL is a significant independent factor that can contribute to short and long term UC recovery post-LRP, which may assist clinicians and their patients in counseling of treatment.