Disclosed herein is a sliding member that has a coating layer serving as a sliding surface thereof so that even when foreign matter enters between the coating layer and a partner member, smoothness between them is maintained to prevent the occurrence of seizing. When the coating layer has an elastic recovery ratio of less than 60%, foreign matter that has entered between the coating layer and the sliding surface of a partner member is efficiently embedded in the coating layer. When the coating layer is formed of a resin composition, the resin composition contains a binder resin, a solid lubricant, and metal particles having a Young's modulus of 10 GPa or more but 100 GPa or less.