Abstract: Recent progress of analytical methods for the determination of trace bromine in coal samples, including direct and indirect methods, were summarized in this paper. In indirect analytical method, coal sample was digested with high temperature hydrolysis, alkali-fusion or microwave digestion and then the bromine in sample solution was determined by ion chromatography (IC) or inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In direct analytical method, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and neutron act vation analysis (NAA) are used to directly determine the bromine in coal samples. The basic characteristics and theory of each method are introduced. The applicability, existent problems and further development of the methods are also discussed.