An object of the present invention is to produce an α-hydroxyketone compound easily and effectively. Provided is a process for producing an α-hydroxyketone compound comprising a stirring step of stirring one or more aldehyde compounds or polymers thereof in the presence of a base and an imidazolinium salt represented by the formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group optionally having a substituent or an aryl group optionally having a substituent, or R1 and R2 are bound to each other to form a ring together with carbon atoms to which they bind, R3 and R4 each independently represent an aryl group having one or more electron withdrawing groups, and X− represents an anion.