A novel process for producing 3-oxocarboxylic acid esters, which are useful as intermediates in the synthesis of ceramides to be used as a humectant, biodegradable polymers, drugs, etc., at a high purity and a high yield without requiring any troublesome procedure, is disclosed. The process comprises reacting an acetoacetic ester with a calcium compound, a barium compound or a strontium compound in the presence of an organic solvent at a temperature of 10 to 120.degree. C., further reacting the obtained product with a carboxylic acid chloride to thereby acylate it, and then adding thereto an alcohol in an amount 1 to 5 times by mol as much as the calcium compound, barium compound or strontium compound to thereby deacetylate the same.