Manufacture of saturated aliphatic alcohols by hydrogenation of saturated aliphatic aldehydes at temperatures of from 140* to 230*C at pressures of from 50 to 350 atmospheres in the presence of catalysts containing from 5 to 15% by weight nickel and 5 to 20% by weight molybdenum supported on silicic acid, in which process catalysts are used which have been obtained by heating silicic acid carrier materials to temperatures of from 700* to 1200*C, impregnating the resulting silicic acid carrier materials with nickel and molybdenum salts, drying the resulting material with or without further heating to temperatures of from 200* to 500*C and subsequently treating the product with hydrogen at elevated temperature in conventional manner. The alcohols obtained are used as solvents or for the manufacture of plasticizers for polyvinyl chloride.