PURPOSE: To provide a hydoren storage alloy, suitable for cathode for nickel- hydrogen storage battery and having high hydrogen occluding property and excellent corrosion resistance, and a cathode for nickel-hydrogen battery having high capacity, excellent in high-efficiency electric discharge characteristic, and having prolonged charge and discharge cycle life.

CONSTITUTION: This alloy is an LaNi5 type hydrogen storage alloy in which 5-45wt.% of La in an intermetallic compound having a stoichiometric ratio represented by La0.96-1.00Ni5, is substituted by Ce and Pr and/or Nd and also at least 8 atomic % of Ni in the intermetallic compound is substituted by Co. In this hydrogen storage alloy, 100-1,000ppm carbon is contained and also the 5-30wt.% portion among the 5-45wt.% portion of the above La to be substituted is substituted by Ce.