As a new type of inorganic material，nanosized barium sulfate has been widely used in many fields because of its high specific surface area，high activity and good dispersion etc..Firstly，three preparation methods，including complex precicipitation method，microemulsion method and microreactor method，were summarized，and their preparation mechanism，advantages and disadvantages were analyzed.The research progress in surface modification of nanosized barium sulfate and its application in coatings，plastics，paper making，chemical fibers and other fields were summarized emphatically.The mecha nism of nanosized barium sulfate modification was also described.Finally，it was pointed out that the production cost，energy consumption and pollution should be solved in the production process of nanosized barium sulfate.At the same time，new technical means should be introduced into various processes.The development of integrated technology is an important direction for the future research of nanosized barium sulfate.