The present invention relates to alkaline fuel cell catalysts, specifically the application of a highly active catalyst in alkaline fuel cells; the active component of the catalyst is composed of N and metal components, and the metal components are Fe, One or more of Co, Ni, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Cd, W, Sn, Pb, Pd, Ir, Ru, W and their oxides; The atomic ratio of N and other metal components in the catalyst is 20:1-0.1:10, the mass percentage of active components in the catalyst is 10-80%, and the balance is C carrier. The catalyst of the invention has small particles and uniform particle size distribution. Compared with Pt, the catalyst has the advantages of low price and rich resources, and its activity in an alkaline system is equivalent to that of Pt, thereby greatly reducing the catalyst cost.