A photographing optical lens assembly includes seven lens elements, the seven lens elements being, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element has negative refractive power. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. The fourth lens element has an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof.