A reflective mask blank capable of facilitating the discovery of contaminants, scratches and other critical defects by inhibiting the detection of pseudo defects attributable to surface roughness of a substrate or film in a defect inspection using a highly sensitive defect inspection apparatus. The reflective mask blank has a mask blank multilayer film comprising a multilayer reflective film, obtained by alternately laminating a high refractive index layer and a low refractive index layer, and an absorber film on a main surface of a mask blank substrate, wherein, in the relationship between bearing area (%) and bearing depth (nm) as measured with an atomic force microscope for a 1 μm×1 μm region of the surface of the reflective mask blank on which the mask blank multilayer film is formed, the surface of the reflective mask blank satisfies the relationship of (BA70−BA30)/(BD70−BD30)≧60(%/nm) and maximum height (Rmax)≦4.5 nm.