The invention relates to a process for producing benzene comprising the steps of: (a) providing a hydrocracking feed stream comprising C5-C12 hydrocarbons, (b) contacting the hydrocracking feed stream in the presence of hydrogen with a hydrocracking catalyst under process conditions including a temperature of 425-580° C., a pressure of 300-5000 kPa gauge and a Weight Hourly Space Velocity of 3-30 h−1 to produce a hydrocracking product stream comprising BTX and (c) separating the BTX from the hydrocracking product stream, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst comprises a shaped body comprising a zeolite and a binder and a hydrogenation metal deposited on the shaped body, wherein the amount of the hydrogenation metal is 0.010-0.30 wt-% with respect to the total catalyst and wherein the zeolite is ZSM-5 having a silica (SiO2) to alumina (Al2O3) molar ratio of 25-75.