In order to maintain an ultraviolet-ray intensity of a metal halide lamp for a long period, the present invention provides a high intensity discharge lamp comprising an arc tube having electrodes at its both ends, and a rare gas, mercury, iron, a halogen and silver enclosed in the tube, wherein a gram atom ratio of silver to iron is 0.05 to 0.2. The present invention also provides a high intensity discharge lamp comprising an arc tube having electrodes at its both ends, and a rare gas, mecury, iron, a halogen, tin and silver enclosed in the tube, wherein ([Fe]+[Sn])/[J] 1, where [Fe], [Sn], ]Ag] and [J] are, respectively, gram atoms of iron, tin, silver and the halogen.