Due to the excellent pyroelectric properties, ferroelectric ceramics containing lead element are widely used as sensitive materials in pyroelectric infrared detectors at present. The research and development of lead-free ferroelectric ceramics for this kind of detector has become a hot research spot in the areas of dielectric physics and materials in recent years. In this article, the recent research progress of the pyroelectric effect in series of important lead-free ferroelectric ceramic systems is reviewed, including barium titanate, sodium bismuth titanate, potassium sodium niobite, barium strontium niobite, etc. The methods of enhancing the pyroelectric effect are summarized, including doping modification, phase boundary design, process improvement, etc. Through comparative analysis of the relationship between pyroelectric properties and depolarization temperatures of different systems, it is concluded that bismuth sodium titanate based ceramics are the most potential lead-free materials in the future. The prospective research work of lead-free ferroelectric ceramics for infrared detection is also suggested.