To provide an organic EL element which has a hole injection layer, prevents excitation energy from reaching the hole injection layer, and also prevents electrons from reaching the hole injection layer, whereby an element lifetime can be enhanced and moreover it is not hard for a current to flow; and to provide a display unit and a lighting unit equipped therewith.

An organic electroluminescence element has a structure obtained by laminating an anode, the hole injection layer, a luminescent layer and a cathode in this order. The organic electroluminescence element has a hole transport layer between the hole injection layer and the luminescent layer, and band gap energy (Eg(HTL)) of the hole transport layer and band gap energy (Eg(EML)) of the luminescent layer satisfy a relational expression (1): ¾Eg(HTL)¾<¾Eg(EML)¾.

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