Background: Serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a potential biomarker for fibrosis assessment. We aimed to evaluate serum CHI3L1 as a noninvasive diagnostic marker for chronic hepatitis B virus- related fibrosis.Methods: Serum CHI3L1 levels were measured by ELISA in 134 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Sig- nificant fibrosis was defined as a liver stiffness > 9.7 kPa. The performance of CHI3L1 was assessed and compared to that of other noninvasive tests by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: Serum CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in CHB patients with significant hepatic fibrosis ( ≥ F2) than in those without significant hepatic fibrosis ( < F2) (56.5 ng/mL vs. 81.9 ng/mL, P < 0.001). In CHB patients, the specificity and sensitivity of CHI3L1 for predicting significant fibrosis were 75.6% and 59.1%, respectively, with a cut-off of 76.0 ng/mL and an area under the ROC curve of 0.728 (95% CI: 0.637–0.820). Conclusions: Serum CHI3L1 levels could be an effective new serological biomarker for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis. Moreover, CHI3L1 is feasible in monitoring disease progression.