Objective The research progress on the compressive strength of corrugated box at home and abroad was reviewed, and the trend in the development of corrugated box was discussed. Methods Through the survey of literature, the authors figured out the current status of compressive strength study of corrugated paperboard box. In this paper the authors discussed the studies on the mechanical properties of corrugated boxes, the revision of the empirical formula for corrugated paperboard, the influencing factors and improvement methods of compressive strength. Conclusion The study of compression strength provides necessary experimental data for enterprises of corrugated boxes and packaging designers. The lightweight, quantitative, resource-saving and cost-reducing are the scientific development requirement of corrugated boxes, being the direction of the corrugated box industry globally.