With the thriving development of China’s steel industry,iron tailings have become one of the most deposited industrial solid wastes in China,the treatment of which has become a key link faced by mining and smelting enterprises.With the perspective of effective utilization of iron tailings resources,the paper discussed the current research status of iron tailings in China used as concrete raw materials,sand slurry raw materials,roadbed materials,brick fabrication materials,aerated concrete materials,mine backfill materials and so on,as well as the existing problems and outlook for future development,in hope that it can provide references for the comprehensive utilization of iron tailings.