Catalytic combustion is one of the most effective techniques for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this review, the recent developments in catalytic combustion of VOCs with regard to active species such as noble metal catalysts, mixed metal oxides, perovskite and spinel metal oxide phases were examined. The effects of particle sizes of active species, catalyst supports, the water vapor effect and the coking effect on catalytic combustion were evaluated. It is found that the research on noble metal catalysts mainly focuses on developing new supports and bi-elemental noble metal catalysts; while the research on non-noble metal catalysts focuses on developing new mixed metal oxides, perovskites and spinel catalysts, as well as investigating the effects of particle sizes and various supports on the combustion activity. Additionally, as far as practical application is concerned, the effect of water vapor and coking deactivation on the catalytic combustion process are discussed. This review will be helpful in choosing an appropriate technique for the removal of VOCs by catalytic combustion with high activity and high stability.