A refrigerator having a basket lift apparatus comprises: a body having cooling chambers for storing food; a basket accommodated in the cooling chamber arranged at a lower portion of the body in a slidable manner; a lifting unit for lifting the basket when the basket is drawn out of the cooling chamber; and a damping unit installed at the lifting unit, for absorbing an impact generated when the basket lifted by the lifting unit is descended. When the basket is descended, a damping force is generated thereby to absorb an impact due to a drastic descent of the basket.