In the present paper, a method was established based on laser tweezer Raman spectroscopy for rapid quantification of astaxanthin in Phaffia rhodozyma cells. First, the Raman spectra of astaxanthin standard solution with different concentrations were determined and the standard curve for astaxanthin with the peak intensity at 1 520 cm- was plotted; And then the Phaffia yeast cells cultivated in different nitrogen source and carbon source medium were divided into two parts, one for the detection of Raman spectra, and the other for the determination of ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry; Finally the relationship between the two methods was analyzed. The correlation coefficient of standard curve for astaxanthin is 0.998 3. Comparing laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy method with traditional ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry in analyzing the content of astaxanthin in unit mass Phaffia rhodozyma and the yield of astaxanthin in unit volume fermentation broth of Phaffia rhodozyma, the authors found that the data obtained have good linear relationship. And the correlation coefficients are 0.917 7 and 0.905 4, respectively. Therefore, both methods have almost the same effect of measuement. But laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy method is more efficient in the quantitative analysis of astaxanthin in Phaffia rhodozyma cells.