The present disclosure provides a method for generating ethylene by electrochemical selective hydrogenation of acetylene, including the following steps: continuously feeding acetylene gas into an organic solvent at a flow rate of 1 sccm to 50 sccm to obtain a solution; adding an electrolyte in the form of a solution or a solid such that the solution has an electrolyte concentration of 0.1 M to 3 M, a conductivity of 100 μs·cm−1 to 500 μs·cm−1, and a current density of 10 mA·cm−2 to 300 mA·cm−2; adding a hydrogen source such that the solution has a proton concentration of 0.1 M to 28 M; turning on an electrochemical treatment unit, and conducting constant-current or constant-potential electrolysis such that the acetylene gas is continuously and efficiently converted into ethylene gas after the electrolysis is stably conducted. The method has simple operations, low energy consumption, and quick response.