An object of the present invention is to provide a black ink composition by which a recorded matter in which a fine surface defect on a recorded matter is effectively suppressed, can be obtained. For this object, the present invention is a black ink composition containing water, carbon black, and a water-soluble polyurethane resin, wherein when a content of carbon black is not less than 0.4% by weight and less than 1.5% by weight, a content of a solid matter of the water-soluble polyurethane resin is not less than 0.67-fold and not more than 2.5-fold a content of the carbon black and, when a content of the carbon black is less than 0.4% by weight, a content of a solid matter of the water-soluble polyurethane resin is not less than 7.5-fold a content of the carbon black.