Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of blindness, which is still short of effective therapies.As a complex disease affected by genetical, metabolic and nutritional factors, a key factor to promote the occurrence and development of AMD is chronic inflammation.In recent years, the etiological role of abnormal complement activation in AMD has attracted lots of attention.Genetic analysis has identified a number of complement-related genes, especially CFH, affecting the susceptibility of AMD.Moreover, in vitro and in vivo studies have found that abnormal ocular and systemic complement activations are closely related to the pathological alterations of AMD, including Bruch membrane changes, drusen formation, chronic retinal inflammation and choroidal neovascularization.The dysregulation of complement activation cascades causes the damage of retinal cells, which eventually leads to the pathological changes of AMD.Accordingly, complement system has become a target for new anti-AMD therapy development.This review summarized the pathological characteristics of AMD, complement-related risk genes for AMD, and the role of abnormal complement activation in promoting the progression of AMD, so as to find new targets for AMD treatment.