The mean grain size (D2) of the main crystal phase 11 in the external cover dielectric layers 3 is made larger than the mean grain size (D1) of the main crystal phase 11 in the dielectric ceramic layers 7, and the amount of the secondary phase (M2) in the external cover dielectric layer 3 is made more than the amount of the secondary phase (M1) in the dielectric ceramic layer 7, or the volume proportion of the secondary phase 16 to the main crystal phase 11 in the external cover dielectric layer 3 is made lower than the volume proportion of the secondary phase 16 to the main crystal phase 11 in the dielectric ceramic layer 7. This constitution produces the multilayer ceramic capacitor having a large number of thin layers stacked one on another that is capable of suppressing the occurrence of delamination between the external cover dielectric layers and the effective dielectric material section and between the effective dielectric material sections due to the difference in shrinkage by firing even when particle size of the dielectric material powder is made smaller.