Catalyst used for producing methyl glycolate and preparation method and application thereof

A catalyst used for producing methyl glycolate by using dimethyl oxalate plus hydrogen and a preparation method and an application thereof. The catalyst comprises the following components in percentage by weight: 65-90% of silicon dioxide, 5-20% of silver elements, 0.1-5% of nickel elements, 0.01-5% of lanthanum elements, and 0.01-5% of metal element M, wherein the metal element M is selected from one of titanium, cerium, cobalt, or zirconium, and the elements exist in the form of being bound with oxygen. Compared with the prior art, the preparation method has the characteristics such as simple process and easy control of the preparation process; and the hydrogenation catalyst prepared by the method has the characteristics such as high activity, long life, and wide range of reaction operation conditions.