Condensation particle counter (CPC) is a kind of instrument for detecting submicron and nanometer aerosol particles, which has important applications in environmental monitoring and meteorological research. Some international institutions have realized the mass production of CPC. However, the relevant research in China lags behind. Based on the research results of domestic and foreign scholars on CPC, this paper discusses the development of CPC in the past 40 years. Different optimization schemes for CPC structure are introduced, and the influence of growth temperature, particle concentration and working fluid properties on the performance of CPC detection is discussed. It is found that the addition of sheath flow can significantly reduce the cutting particle size of CPC. The properties of working fluid directly determine the counting efficiency of CPC. Reasonable control of temperature difference between condenser and saturator and particle concentration can also improve the counting efficiency of CPC. After that, several mainstream CPC calibration devices and calibration technologies are introduced, and their advantages and disadvantages are compared. Finally, the test performance and main applications of different types of CPC are discussed.