PURPOSE: To enhance the anti-abrasiveness by forming the outermost insulative layer of an insulated electric wire from a shellac resin composition prepared in such a way that shellac resin is compounded with an alcohol-soluble coating in a specified compounding ratio.

CONSTITUTION: An insulative layer 3 containing shellac resin is provided on the periphery of a usual insulative layer 2 not containing shellac resin formed on a conductor 1. The layer 3 consists of a shellac resin composition in such a preparation as to contain 100 parts by weight alcohol-soluble coating and 1-100 parts by weight shellac resin. No more than one part by wt. content of shellac resin yields a poor effect of anti-abrasiveness, while more than 100 parts by wt. degradates the flexibility and resistance against thermal shock of the resultant insulated electric wire. The thickness of the layer 3 should favorably be 1-15μm, and the anti-abrasiveness and resistance against scratch can be further enhanced if a lubricant containing wax, polyethylene powder, or the like is applied thinly to the surface of the layer 3.