The invention discloses a method for extracting 
hydroxytyrosol from olive leaves and belongs to the technical field of 
plant active ingredient extraction. The method disclosed by the invention is characterized in that the olive leaves are used as raw materials, alkali liquor with the pH value being 11 to 14 is used for carrying out heat insulation extraction under the condition of 80 to 100 DEG C, obtained extraction liquid is concentrated and passes through a macroporous adsorption resin column, methyl 
alcohol or 
ethanol is used for washing the column, the 
thin layer chromatography tracking detection is carried out, and 
alcohol washing eluent is collected; and the 
alcohol washing eluent is concentrated, extracting agents are used for extraction, extraction phases are collected, concentration and 
drying are carried out, and the 
hydroxytyrosol is obtained. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that the olive leaves are subjected to heat insulation extraction by the alkali liquor with the pH value being 11 to 14 under the condition of 80 to 100 DEG C, the extraction and 
hydrolysis steps are simultaneously carried out, the extraction efficiency is high, and in addition, the 
hydrolysis reaction is complete; and on the other hand, the extraction and 
hydrolysis steps can be synchronously carried out, and the transition step is not needed between the two steps, so the work procedure is simplified, the labor and the material are saved, the production cost is reduced, and the industrial production is easily realized.