The metamaterial is an artificial composite material. It is generally composed of a unit structure in which metals and dielectrics are periodically arranged. It has certain special electromagnetic properties that are not available in the natural materials. The electromagnetic response of metamaterials is determined not only by its constituent materials but also by its microstructure and arrangement. The perfect absorber based on metamaterial design can achieve close to 100% absorption of electromagnetic waves of a specific wavelength by rationally changing the microstructure parameters and arrangement of the resonant units. Perfect metamaterial absorber (PMA), with the advantages of flexible design, adjustable response, small thickness, strong wave absorption, etc., is possible to achieve ultra-wide bandwidth and extremely narrow bandwidth through a well-designed structure, which can be widely used for stealth materials, frequency selective surfaces, terahertz imaging, intelligent communications, photoelectric detection, and other fields. This review summarizes the research status and development prospects of PMA on the basis of comprehensive research status at home and abroad in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of PMA. Finally, the PMA development trend and application prospects are thoroughly discussed. The new PMA with multi-function and simple structure is the future development trend.