The invention discloses a single-eccentric short transmission chain speed reducer. The single-eccentric short transmission chain speed reducer comprises a fixed main body, a bearing sleeve, a power input shaft, a power output shaft and a duplicate gear; the power input shaft comprises positive axis parts at the two ends and an off-axis part in the middle, the axes of the positive axis parts and the off-axis part do not coincide, the duplicate gear is arranged on the off-axis part of the power input shaft in a sleeving mode through a third bearing, and the duplicate gear comprises a first external gear and a second external gear; a first inner gear ring is arranged on the portion, corresponding to the first external gear, of the fixed main body, a second inner gear ring is arranged on the portion, corresponding to the second external gear, of the power output shaft, the first external gear and the first inner gear ring are in internal meshed transmission, and the second external gear and the second inner gear ring are in internal meshed transmission. The single-eccentric short transmission chain speed reducer has the advantages of being simple in structure, short in transmission chain, high in transmission efficiency, stable in transmission, large in transmission moment, wide in speed reducing ratio range and the like.