Abstract: More than 10% of the global population are threatened by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Substantial research suggests that there is a link between low levels of vitamin D and the progression and adverse prognosis of CKD. With the deepening of research, the role of vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) in CKD has gained increasing attention. Recently, raising vitamin D levels or using VDR agonists in CKD patients has become a therapeutic approach for CKD. This article reviews the synthesis and metabolism of vitamin D, the distribution, function and regulation of VDR, the relationship between vitamin D and CKD, and the protective mechanism of vitamin D-VDR axis on CKD, in order to provide theoretical basis and research ideas for the prevention and treatment of CKD.