A rotary compressor may include a cylinder having an inner peripheral surface that defines a compression space, and provided with a suction port configured to communicate with the compression space and through which refrigerant is suctioned into the compression space; a roller rotatably provided in the compression space of the cylinder, and having a plurality of vane slots that provides a back pressure at one side thereinside and provided at a predetermined interval along an outer peripheral surface of the roller; and a plurality of vanes slidably inserted into the vane slots, respectively, and configured to rotate together with the roller, front end surfaces of which come into contact with the cylinder due to the back pressure to partition the compression space into a plurality of compression chambers. High-pressure refrigerant may be accommodated between one of the vanes and the cylinder.