The invention relates to a composite carrier for preparing thin shell catalysts, which mainly solves the technical problems that in the prior art, the layered composite carrier has small specific surface area, the water absorption rate is low, the consumption rate of the carrier and the catalyst is high, the selectivity of the catalyst is low, and the stability of the catalyst is poor. The composite carrier for preparing the thin shell catalysts adopts the technical scheme that the composite carrier comprises a coating and a substrate, wherein a substrate carrier is selected from at least one kind of materials from alpha-Al2O3, silicon oxides, cordierite, spinelle, carborundum, alundum or pumice carriers, in addition, the specific surface area of the carrier is smaller than 2m<2>/g, the consumption is 60 to 95 percent of the weight of the composite carrier, the coating materials are selected from at least one kind of materials from gamma-Al2O3, eta-Al2O3, chi-Al2O3, argil, bentonite and kaolin, in addition, the specific surface area of the coating materials is greater than 150m<2>/g, the specific surface area of the prepared composite carrier is 10 to 30m<2>/g, and the water absorption rate is 20 to 40 percent. The problems are perfectly solved, and the composite carrier can be used for industrial production of the thin shell catalysts.