In order to clarify the influence of diameter-to-thickness ratio on the hysteretic behavior of cylindrical shells, the hysteretic failure modes and energy dissipation capacity of cylindrical shells with different diameter-to-thickness ratios were studied through low cyclic load test and numerical simulation. The results show that the diameter-to-thickness ratio affects the buckling mode of the structure. With the increase of diameter-to-thickness ratio, the failure mode changes from bottom elephant foot buckling to fold buckling. Both the cumulative equivalent plastic strain and equivalent viscous damping coefficient gradually decrease with the increase of diameter-to-thickness ratio. The greater the diameter-to-thickness ratio, the less sufficient the plastic development and the weaker the energy dissipation capacity of the structure. The plastic strengthening stage of the cylindrical shell gradually shortens with the increase of the diameter-to-thickness ratio. When the diameter-to-thickness ratio exceeds 250, the structure directly enters the buckling development stage without plastic strengthening. The larger the diameter thickness ratio, the earlier the local buckling occurs, resulting in the failure of the section before reaching the full plastic bending moment. Therefore, the theoretical value of full plastic bending moment of cylindrical shell structure with large diameter thickness ratio should be modified accordingly.