To provide a coloring composition having no paper dependence, excellent color development/tone upon printing in any selected paper, excellent handling properties, smelling, safety, water resistance, light-resistance and the like, enabling high recording density/high image quality, and suitable for a writing water-based ink for writing, a water-based printing ink, an information recording ink or the like.

The coloring composition comprises an oil-soluble dye represented by formula (1) (wherein R is any substitutent; Z is a nitrogen- containing aromatic ring-forming atomic group; Y is a carbon atom; X is any hetero atom which may have a substituent; and R and X and/or Y may bond with each other to form a ring) and at least one oil-solubilizing group being included in formula (1). Further, the oil-soluble dye represented by formula (1) is preferably the one represented by formula (2) or (3).