A semiconductor laser device including an n-type cladding layer, an active layer, a p-type cladding layer having a ridge portion, an n-type optical confinement layer formed on the flat portion and side surfaces of the ridge portion of the p-type cladding layer, and an n-type current blocking layer formed on the n-type optical confinement layer in this order. The optical confinement layer is composed of a low resistivity layer doped with n-type impurity, which has a smaller refractive index than the p-type cladding layer and a bandgap energy greater than the energy of lasing light. The optical confinement layer has an impurity concentration of 5.times.10.sup.7 cm.sup.-3 or less. The n-type current blocking layer has a thickness of 0.4 .mu.m or less.