With the rapid development of intraocular lens (IOL) technology, the traditional classification system based on optical design has become unable to accurately present IOL properties and predict patients′ real-world visual outcomes. In 2024, the Functional Vision Working Group (FVWG) of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) first proposed an evidence-based functional classification framework quantified by monocular best-corrected visual acuity defocus curves, depth of field and visual acuity increase from intermediate to near, which categorizes IOLs into six functional subtypes. Further refined by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Asia Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and the Latin American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, this framework was formally endorsed in a global multi-society consensus in 2026. Shifting from nominal classification by optical configuration to quantitative grading based on actual postoperative visual performance, the new system enables ophthalmologists to objectively evaluate IOL functional profiles and facilitates individualized preoperative IOL selection; it also provides valuable references for optimizing domestic IOL registration and volume-based procurement categorization in China. This article systematically reviews the background, methodology, evolutionary process, current domestic situation and clinical application of this classification system, aiming to help Chinese ophthalmologists fully understand and standardize the clinical application of this novel evidence-based classification method.