A cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has improved output characteristics in low-temperature environment use. A lithium mixture includes composite hydroxide particles and a lithium compound calcined in an oxidizing atmosphere under a temperature rising time from 650° C. to a calcination temperature set to 0.5-1.5 hours and the calcination temperature set to 850° C.-1000° C. and maintained for 1.0-5.0 hours. The material has the general formula (A): Li1+SNixCoyMnzM1O2 , where −0.05≤s≤0.20, x+y+z+t=1, 0.3≤x≤0.7, 0.1≤y≤0.4, 0.1≤z≤0.4, 0≤t≤0.05, and M is selected from Ca, Mg, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, and W. The material includes hexagonal lithium composite oxide particles. The ratio of the crystallite size at plane (104) to plane (003) is greater than 0 and less than 0.60.