Middle point voltage of discharge is increased and at the same time cycle life improved in a nickel-metal hydride storage battery having a negative electrode utilizing a rare earth-nickel hydrogen-absorbing alloy containing Mg and the like and having a crystal structure other than a CaCu5 structure. A nickel-metal hydride storage battery contains a positive electrode (1), a negative electrode (2) including a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and an alkaline electrolyte solution. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy contains at least a rare-earth element, magnesium, nickel, and aluminum, and has an intensity ratio IA/IB of 0.1 or greater as determined by X-ray diffraction analysis using Cu-Kα radiation as an X-ray source, where IA is the strongest peak intensity that appears in the range of 20=30° to 34°, and IB is the strongest peak intensity that appears in the range of 2θ=40° to 44°. The negative electrode contains a cobalt compound.