The organic EL element of the invention which achieves the aforementioned object is provided with a base, first and second electrode layers situated facing each other on one side of the base, and a luminescent layer situated between the electrode layers, wherein one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is a hole injection electrode layer while the other is an electron injection electrode layer, an organic thin-film layer made of a vapor depositable polar organic compound with an energy gap of 3.5 eV or greater is provided between the luminescent layer and the electron injection electrode layer, and the organic thin-film layer has a thickness of 0.1 nm-4 nm.