Innate lymphoid cells are an important part of innate mucosal immunity and participate in immune response by secreting effector cytokines and regulating the functions of other immune cells. They are similar to T helper cells in transcription factors and secretory cytokines, but they also have some unique functions. Different innate lymphocyte subsets play different roles in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) according to their respective characteristics. Compared with adaptive lymphocyte, innate lymphocyte is relatively less in lymphoid tissue, accounting for only a small part of lung immune cells, but these lymphocyte cells play a crucial role in the development and progression of COPD. In this paper, the role of innate lymphoid cells in COPD and the related research progress were reviewed.