The invention relates to a process for the production of sulphonic acid ester group-containing polyhydroxyl compounds having an average hydroxyl functionality of from 1.5 to 4, comprising reacting(a) paraffin sulphochlorides which are obtained by sulphochlorination of paraffins containing from 10 to 18 carbon atoms or of industrial mixtures of these paraffins, with unreacted paraffins and/or with chloroparaffins, having saponifiable chlorine content, based on the total weight of component (a), of from 5 to 15% with(b) an alcohol which is at least trihydric and which contains primary and/or secondary hydroxyl groups within the molecular weight range of from 92 to 250 or with mixtures of polyhydric alcohols having a molecular weight in the range of from 62 to 250 with an average hydroxyl functionality of from 2.5 to 5in the presence of hydrogen chloride acceptors while maintaining an equivalent ratio of hydroxyl groups to sulphochloride groups of at least 2:1 with the optional removal of sulphochloride group-free paraffin and/or chloroparaffin and excess alcohol from the reaction mixture after the reaction.