Efficient and safe delivery of drugs, proteins or genes to the targeted sites has been the focus of pharmaceutical research. Inorganic nanomaterials are ideal materials for drug delivery systems due to their good stability, excellent biocompatibility and high drug loading capacity.Inorganic nanomaterials are ideal materials for drug delivery systems due to their good stability, high biocompatibility and excellent drug loading capacity. In this review, we started with reported researches and clinical trials to discuss the researches and clinical transformation of these inorganic nanoparticles in application of drug delivery, including carbon nanomaterials, silica nanoparticles, calcium nanomaterials, gold nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles and quantum dots, providing theoretical reference for application of inorganic drug delivery carriers in the development of new drugs, looking to the prospects of inorganic nanomaterials in clinical application.