The invention provides a coherent differential absorption laser radar comprising a first tunable continuous wave laser, a second tunable continuous wave laser, a beam splitter, an acousto-optic modulator, a laser amplifier, a circulator, a transmitting and receiving telescope, a coupler, a balance detector, an acquisition card and a digital signal processing system. Two required laser wavelengthsare determined by selecting appropriate absorption lines of gas molecules to be tested in intermediate infrared, then local oscillation light and signal light are split by the beam splitter, frequencies are finally combined by the coupler, and the balance detector is used for detection to obtain a concentration of the gas molecules. Due to the larger gas absorption cross-section coefficient and lower background radiation of the intermediate infrared, the detection sensitivity is improved. The use of coherent detection instead of direct detection reduces the influence of low quantum efficiencyon the precision of detection, improves the utilization of echo signals, and improves the performance of the differential absorption laser radar.