The present invention is to provide a membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell which retains the wet state of a polymer electrolyte membrane and has excellent output characteristic under low humidified condition, under high-temperature condition, or in high current density region, and a fuel cell provided with the membrane electrode assembly. A membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell of the present invention comprises a polymer electrolyte membrane containing at least one or more kinds of proton-conducting polymers, a fuel electrode disposed on one surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane and an oxidant electrode disposed on the other surface thereof, wherein hydrophilicity of one surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane differs from that of the other surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane, in which a surface having relatively high hydrophilicity is defined as a first surface and a surface having relatively low hydrophilicity is defined as a second surface, the fuel electrode is disposed on the first surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane, and the oxidant electrode is disposed on the second surface thereof. A fuel cell of the present invention is provided with the membrane electrode assembly.