A progressive-scanned picture is displayed without a loss of its vertical resolution. In a picture encoding apparatus 101, a determined result that represents whether an encoding target picture is an interlace-scanned picture or a progressive-scanned picture is set to a scanning flag. Information that represents a display system of a picture is set to display system designation information. Encoded data of which the picture, the scanning flag, and the display system designation information have been multiplexed are output. A picture decoding apparatus 102 recognizes a picture on the basis of the scanning flag and the display system designation information of the encoded data. When the picture is an interlace-scanned picture, the picture is interpolated with fields. As a result, a frame picture is generated and output. When the picture is a progressive-scanned picture, the picture is recognized as a frame picture and repetitively output the number of times corresponding to the display system designation information. The present invention may be applied when a picture is encoded and decoded on the basis of H.264/AVC.