Objective  The research trend and frontier hot spots of international soil acidification research in recent years is reviewed.

  Method  The publications based on Web of Science (WoS) database from 1991-2020 were analyzed by visual analysis software like CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Visual econometric analysis was conducted from number of publications, countries, institutions, authors, highly cited papers, journals and keywords.

  Result  The results showed that the annual amount of soil acidification published in the world was gradually increasing in the past 30 years. China led in the number of publications along with the United States, but its centrality was low. Chinese Academy of Sciences has the most publications and the highest degree of centrality. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Swedish Agricultural University and China Agricultural University also have strong scientific research level and international influence. Most researchers were independent, and core groups seldom collaborated with each other. The main co-citation journals included WATER AIR SOIL POLL, PLANT SOIL, SOIL SCI SOC AM J, NATURE and SCIENCE, etc. The hotspots included nitrogen, aluminum, sedimentation, fertilization, heavy metals, forest soil, climate change, organic matter, plant growth, acidification effect and management, and they presented stage characteristics.

  Conclusion  This study is conducive to a comprehensive understanding of international soil acidification research in recent years, and provides reference for domestic acidification research and application.