Diabetes is a metabolic disease featuring hyperglycemia. It can lead to serious health issues affecting a large population worldwide and patients’ quality of life. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a type of RNA that does not encode proteins. But it has been reported that LncRNA can influence numerous important gene expression processes, and it’s closely associated with the pathogenesis of diabetes. LncRNA can regulate insulin secretion leading to insulin resistance, change the metabolism of glucolipid and cause pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and thus participate in the progression of type 2 diabetes. It has also been shown to influence the function of placental trophoblasts in gestational diabetes as well as regulate various signaling pathways associated with diabetes complications such as diabetic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic cardiomyopathy. In this review, we summarize the studies that reveal the roles of lncRNA in the development of type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and diabetes complications,with the goal to assess the fundamental properties of lncRNA as well as identify qualified biomarkers and possible therapeutic targets.