Ten coals ranging from anthracite coal to brown coal were impregnated with four catalysts (K, Ba, Fe, Ni) during pulverization. Three different gases, that is, H2O, CO2 and H2 were used to determine the effect of gasifying agent on the activity sequence of catalysts. The gasification was carried out in a thermobalance. The reaction profile (the variation of specific rate with fixed-carbon conversion) strongly depended on catalyst type and reaction atmosphere, but was almost independent of coal type. The activity sequence of catalysts was also independent of coal type, and the sequences obtained were as follows H2O gasification: K>Ba>Ni>Fe CO2 gasification: K>Ba>Fe>Ni H2 gasification: Ni≥Fe>K>Ba