A process for producing molten iron wherein a formed material containing iron oxide and a carbonaceous reducing agent is used as a raw material, and a rotary hearth furnace and a melting furnace are connected, characterized in that said formed material is first charged into a heating and reducing furnace, to enhance a metallization rate to 60 % or more prior to the feed to the melting furnace, and the secondary burning rate of a CO gas in said melting furnace is controlled to 40 % or less. The process allows the suppression of the loss by melting of refractories of the rotary hearth furnace and the melting furnace, in combination with the production of a molten iron having an enhanced purity of iron with good productivity.