This paper summarizes recent applications of ionic liquids (ILs) as green solvents and extractants in the extraction and separation of Rare Earths (REs), which are widely used in a variety of high-tech products, while mining, separation, and smelting can greatly damage the environment.Conventional imidazolium-based ILs as diluents are more active than non-coordinating solvents such as kerosene and n-heptane in the extraction of REs including the co-existing thorium.Imidazolium cations can be involved in REs cation exchange or in forming new complexes with REs(Ⅲ) ions.