The invention discloses a mechanical arm trajectory tracking control method based on a high-order sliding-mode observer. The method comprises the following steps of 1, establishing a dynamical model of an n-degree-of-freedom rotary joint rigid mechanical arm system; 2, acquiring measurement information of joint angles q of a mechanical arm by utilizing a photoelectric encoder, and calculating a mechanical arm trajectory tracking error e = q - qd according to a set expected joint angle qd; 3, establishing a global integral fast terminal sliding mode surface according to e; 4, determining control torque tau of joint driving motors of the mechanical arm according to the sliding mode surface and establishing a control gain self-adaptive rate capable of being dynamically adjusted; and 5, establishing the output feedback high-order sliding mode observer according to the control torque tau and the joint angles q of the mechanical arm, and estimating current angular velocity of joints and lumped disturbance. According to the method, under the situation that nonlinear uncertain items such as system parameter perturbation, external torque interference and damping friction exist in the mechanical arm system, the trajectory tracking control of the mechanical arm is realized only based on the measurement information of all the joint angles, and robustness of whole control process is ensured.