Disclosed is an ink for ink jet recording comprising water, a water-soluble organic solvent, a pigment and a dispersant, wherein the dispersant has a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety and comprises a copolymer obtained by copolymerizing from 40 to 80 mol % of a monomer having an &agr;,&bgr;-ethylenically unsaturated group constituting the hydrophilic moiety and from 20 to 60 mol % of a monomer having an &agr;,&bgr;-ethylenically unsaturated group constituting the hydrophobic moiety.