A manganese-based catalyst for use in the treatment of volatile organic compounds, consisting of manganese oxide and other transition metal oxides, wherein the mass fraction of manganese oxide is less than 60%, while the other transition metal oxides are greater than 40%, the other transition metal oxides being pure MxOy, M=Co, Ce, and Cr, or comprising Co3O4 and MxOy, M=Ce, and Cr, wherein 1≤x≤3 and 1≤y≤4. The method for preparing the manganese-based catalyst is an oxalate colloidal co-precipitation method. In the treatment of volatile organic compounds, the manganese-based catalyst exhibits high activity, a long life, high anti-sintering capacity, and like features in a benzene catalytic combustion reaction. The optimal catalyst may achieve the complete combustion of benzene, a representative model substrate having a stable structure in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), when below 230°C under the reaction conditions of normal pressure and a space velocity of 30000 mL / (g·h), which is comparable with the performance of noble metal catalysts.