This paper describes the degradation properties of ZnO surge arresters impressed by lightning impulse currents. To investigate the deterioration behaviors of ZnO surge arresters due to lightning surges, the 8/20[${mu}s$], 2.5[kA] standard lightning impulse currents were injected to the ZnO surge arrester under test. The power frequency AC and DC leakage currents flowing through the ZnO surge arresters with and without the injection of lightning impulse currents were measured. As a result, the leakage currents are increased and the asymmetry of the AC leakage current is pronounced as the number of injection of the impulse current increases. The ZnO grain of the surge arrester without the injection of lightning surges are uniform but the ZnO grain of the ZnO surge arrester with the injection of lightning impulse currents are deformed. Also, it was found that the decrease of the $Bi_2O_3$ due to the lightning impulse current leads to the lack of grain boundary layer and the current concentrated by the lack of grain boundary layer play an important role to degrade nonlinear property of ZnO surge arrester blocks.