Transparent glass and resin materials have been widely used and are important elements in the future world. However, water vapor condensation and fogging problems are often prone to occurring on surfaces of these materials, which not only reduces the transparency, but also affects the performance of related products and may even bring potential dangers to the operation safety of the equipment. Therefore, how to prevent fog gradually attracts the attention of researchers and industry. Common anti-fog technologies include automatic wiping, thermal anti-fog and surface coating, etc. The superhydrophilic surface with active anti-fog performance has unique advantages in terms of construction convenience, continuous protection, as well as low cost of operation and maintenance, and is the most promising anti-fog technology. The latest development in the design and manufacturing technology of superhydrophilic anti-fog surfaces was introduced in detail. Based on the mechanism of fogging, the nucleation and growth of water droplets were illustrated minutely, and the anti-fog mechanism of superhydrophilic surfaces was introduced. Superhydrophilic anti-fog surfaces obtained by different preparation methods were classified and introduced, and the research progress of superhydrophilic anti-fog coating technology in recent years was reviewed emphatically, including organic superhydrophilic coating, inorganic superhydrophilic coating and organic-inorganic superhydrophilic coating. Regarding various forms of superhydrophilic coating technology, the hydrophilicity, anti-fog property and durability of the coating and the relationship between the structure and performance of the prepared film were summarized. Finally, considering the practical application of superhydrophilic anti-fog surface in different fields, the future development was prospected.