Nitrogen oxides are the one of major air pollution. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is the main technical way of high-efficiency DeNOx of industrial boiler (kiln) flue gas at home and abroad. The DeNOx catalyst is the core of SCR technology, which has been concerned and widely studied in recent decades. Metal oxide catalyst has a broad application prospect in industrial boiler (kiln) flue gas DeNOx, wide range of material sources, simple preparation and stable DeNOx efficiency, and it becomes the focus of research attention. Based on the current situation of SCR flue gas DeNOx theory, the key and important basis for the optimal design of metal oxide catalysts were summarized. At the same time, the research progress of four typical metal oxide catalysts, such as vanadium, manganese, cerium and iron, was reviewed. The DeNOx mechanism, essential characteristics, element improvement, structure and morphology design and existing problems of different oxide catalysts were introduced systematically, and the development trend of metal oxide catalysts in the future was prospected. It would provide reference for the research of efficient DeNOx catalyst for industrial boiler (kiln) flue gas.