Abstract: Due to its broad-spectrum and high antimicrobial activity,low drug resistance and dermal irritation,the silver-based antimicrobial textile has attracted more attentions.The safety,antimicrobial performance,antibacterial mechanism of silver antimicrobial agent,preparation of silver-based antimicrobial fiber and fabric,assessment of antimicrobial performance and the existing problems were discussed in this paper with emphasis on the antimicrobial performance,advantages and disadvantages of silver with different valences.The antimicrobial fibers and fabrics on home and world markets were summarized and compared.The future direction for the silver-based antimicrobial textiles is to further study and develop more photo-stable and cheaper silver antimicrobial agents.