CaMoO4 catalyst was synthesized by a facile and direct co-precipitation method. The original and calcined catalysts were characterized by a variety of techniques. The acidity of the catalysts was studied and correlated with the catalytic activity. The obtained results clearly revealed that CaMoO4 was an active and selective catalyst towards the formation of anhydrous formaldehyde. The highest conversion of methanol and yield of formaldehyde obtained were 100 and 98%, respectively. In addition, the moderate strength of Bronsted acid sites created on the surface of catalyst plays the main role in the formation of formaldehyde. Finally, the CaMoO4 catalyst exhibited a remarkable stability towards anhydrous formaldehyde production up to 120 h. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.