The invention discloses a method for catalytically synthesizing a 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative through cooperation of zirconocene dichloride and benzoic acid ligands. According to the method, with the zirconocene dichloride as a catalyst and 3-nitrophthalic acid, 4-nitrophthalic acid, 5-methoxysalicylic acid, 5-nitrosalicylic acid, 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid and the like as the ligands, intermolecular ring closure is performed between enamine ester and cinnamaldehyde to produce the 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative. By the method, a reaction condition is mild, the operation is simple, the reaction time is short, a reaction product is single, the atomic economy is high, and after the reaction, the 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative with wide biological activity and a high medicinal value can be obtained at a relatively high yield only through simple column chromatographic separation of the product.