Provided is a process for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon efficiently at high yield from a lower hydrocarbon containing methane as a major component, and such a process for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon includes the step of reacting a lower hydrocarbon containing methane as a major component in the presence of a transition-metal-containing crystalline metallosilicate catalyst which is obtainable by supporting 5 to 25 parts by weight of a transition metal (X) on 100 parts by weight of a modified crystalline metallosilicate obtainable by subjecting a crystalline metallosilicate to a series of treatment (A) including a step (i) of eliminating part of a metal from the crystalline metallosilicate and a silylation step (ii).