In desertification areas, vegetation restoration changes the soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles, thereby influencing the balance of soil nutrients. However, the effects of C, N, and P cycles to desertification after vegetation restoration remains unclear. We conducted a global meta-analysis of 1045 observations from 121 field studies to investigate the effects of soil C, N, P, and stoichiometric characteristics in desertification areas on vegetation restoration under different environmental conditions. The magnitude of such effects varied with precipitation, soil layer, soil pH, restoration year, and restoration model. Our results showed that vegetation restoration led to substantial increases in SOC (+63.1%), TN (+47.1%), and TP (+19.8%) contents and the soil C:N (+6.5%), C:P (+32.6%), and N:P (+24.6%) ratios. Increases in SOC and TN contents were most pronounced in the arid region. The C:N:P variation was more significant in the topsoil layer compared to the deeper soil layer. Acidic soils showed a more significant improvement in quality after vegetation restoration, with soil TP exhibiting insensitivity to pH. Changes in soil nutrient content were positively correlated with the duration of vegetation restoration, and tended to stabilise as restoration progressed over time. The nutrient content and stoichiometry of soil in desertification areas were more sensitive to changes in precipitation and the soil layer, respectively. Soil TP was the most limiting element in desertification areas. The results demonstrated that vegetation restoration in desertification areas significantly increased the contents and stoichiometric ratios of soil C, N, and P and provided new insights into the effects of vegetation restoration on biogeochemical cycles, functions, and services in desertification areas across various spatiotemporal scales.