The invention relates to a method for large-area deposition of a coating and surface modification by cathodic plasma electrolysis. A non-ionic water-soluble polymer is added in an electrolyte, and the cathodic plasma electrolysis is carried out by adopting a conventional electrolytic tank or an electrolytic tank that sprays the electrolyte and has an anode and a cathode that moves relatively. A certain direct current voltage or impulse voltage is applied to the electrolytic tank; and the non-ionic water-soluble polymer is absorbed on the surface of a cathode material to induce uniform and continuous large-area cathodic plasma high energy micro-arc discharge, thereby deposing oxide, carbide, nitride, boride and a compound ceramic coating in large area in an electrolyte with different components, deposing a compound coating of oxide and dispersed noble metal particles in large area , and cleaning the surface of the material in the large area and realizing surface nanocrystallization of the material. The method endows materials with novel characteristics such as optics, electrics, magnetics, chemistry, electrochemistry, mechanics and biology, and has wide application in various industrial fields.