A lower olefin producing catalyst which has high olefin production efficiency and maintains its activity for a long period of time when lower olefins are produced from an oxygen-containing compound, which is a solid catalyst used in producing lower olefins from an oxygen-containing compound, includes a solid-state catalyst component containing an MFI-type zeolite, in which, at a position where the shortest distance to the outer surface is maximum among all positions inside a structure of the solid catalyst, the thickness defined as a distance twice the shortest distance from the point to the outer surface is in a range of from 0.1 to 2.0 mm, and a method for producing lower olefins.