The research and development of carbon-based non noble metal catalysts is one of the leading directions in the field of materials science and catalysis. Although, compared with conventional noble metal catalysts, it has the unique advantages of large surface area, wide source, low cost, environmental friendliness, corrosion resistance and so on. Combining the research progress of carbon-based non noble metal catalysts at home and abroad in recent years, the synthesis methods and research status of graphenebased non-metal catalysts, graphene-based non-precious metal oxide catalysts and carbon materials dispersed nonprecious metal catalysts are reviewed.