The invention discloses a ship classification method based on vibration noise identification, and the method comprises the following steps: 1, collecting ship vibration noise, and converting the shipvibration noise into a time domain signal; 2, performing improved ensemble empirical mode decomposition on the ship vibration signals; 3, performing Hilbert-Huang transform on the signal after modal decomposition; 4, performing Hilbert spectrum analysis on ship radiation noise; 5, extracting ship noise characteristics; 6, classifying the ship noise characteristics by using a ship classifier basedon a support vector machine; 7, verifying the accuracy of the ship classification result, and if the result is correct, ending ship classification; and if not, entering the ship classifier for re-classification. The ship classification method based on vibration noise identification is realized, and a new way for marine traffic management personnel, scientific research personnel and military personnel to acquire ship types is provided.