This hydraulic drive device for a work vehicle includes a main pump (1) of a variable displacement type or a fixed displacement type discharging pressure oil, a main flow passage (F1) for supplying pressure oil of the main pump to an actuator, a sub-pump (5) of a fixed displacement type discharging pressure oil, a sub-flow passage (F2) for making pressure oil of the sub-pump merge with the main flow passage and supplying the pressure oil to the actuator (2), a merging directional valve (6A) for connecting or cutting off the main flow passage and the sub-flow passage, a controller (30) for controlling operation of the merging directional valve, and a relief valve (7A) arranged in the sub-flow passage, in which the relief valve has a pressure override characteristic having a tendency that the relief pressure increases from a cracking pressure to a set pressure as a relief flow rate increases.