The invention provides a method for preparing 3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT for short). Firstly, thiodiglycolic acid and methanol generate dimethyl 2, 2'-thiobisacetate through an esterification reaction under the catalysis of an acid, and then the dimethyl 2, 2'-thiobisacetate is condensed with diethy-aceto oxalate under the catalysis of sodium methoxide to obtain 2, 5-dimethyl carboxylate-3, 4-dihydroxy-thiophene; then the 2, 5-dimethyl carboxylate-3, 4-dihydroxy-thiophene and a cyclic esterification reagent are cyclic-esterified to generate 2, 5-dimethyl carboxylate-3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene under the cocatalysis of copper powder or cuprous oxide and potassium carbonate, and 2, 5-dicarboxylic acid-3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene is obtained through alkaline saponification and acid regulation; and finally a copper catalyst remained in the cyclic esterification reaction is used for catalytic decarboxylation in specific pyridine solvents, and the high-purity EDOT is obtained throughreduced pressure distillation. The method has higher yield in the preparation of the EDOT, has low impurity content, and meets the requirement of electronic chemicals.