A negative electrode active material for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same are provided. The negative electrode includes a current collector and a negative electrode active material layer on the current collector. The negative electrode active material layer includes a first region in contact with the current collector and including a first negative electrode active material, and a second region on the first region and including a second negative electrode active material. Each of the first and second negative electrode active materials has an average particle diameter (D50) of about 9 μm to about 22 μm, morphologies that are different from each other, a porosity of the second region is higher than that of the first region, and a porosity ratio of the second region to the first region is from about 110% to about 190%.