Despite  receiving  increasing  attention  from  mathematics  education  scholars,  there  has  not  yet  been  any  overall understanding of the current state of realistic mathematics education (RME). To address this gap, this study aims to provide a review of 288 studies on realistic mathematics education from the Scopus database between 1972 and 2019. Using descriptive and bibliometric analyses, this study addresses four research issues as follows: (i) the total volume, growth trajectory, and geographic distribution;  (ii)  the  most  influencing  authors  and  research  groups;  (iii)  the  most  influencing  sources  (i.e.,  journals,  books, conferences); and (iv) the most important topics. Several implications for not only mathematics education scholars but also other stakeholders, including policymakers, school managers, mathematics teachers, may not be considered in this study.