A vehicle discharge lamp includes: an arc tube including a light emitter, a cathode side fine tube and an anode side fine tube; a cathode side connecting rod; an anode side connecting rod; a cathode side electrode and an anode side electrode disposed within the arc tube. The anode side fine tube includes an expansion portion and an insertion portion formed continuously with the expansion portion, a portion of the anode side electrode is situated within the expansion portion with a clearance, the expansion portion includes a uniform diameter portion with its inside diameter set uniform in an anode side electrode's axial direction, the light emitter includes a flat portion with its axial direction set coincident with the anode side electrode's axial direction, and an inside diameter of the uniform diameter portion is set larger than that of the insertion portion and smaller than that of the flat portion.