To provide a small-sized projection lens which has a very wide field angle of back focus as compared with is focal length, consists of a reduced number of lens elements and has superior image forming performance, to provide a lighting lens which is made small in size and light in weight and has small comatic, chromatic, and distortion aberrations, and to provide a liquid crystal projector which uses one of them.

The projection lens consists of a 1st-group negative meniscus lens L1 which has spherical surfaces as both surfaces, a 2nd-group negative meniscus lens L2, a 3rd-group lens L3 which consists of a cemented lens of a positive and a biconcave lens and a positive lens, a 4-th group lens L4 which consists of a negative lens and two positive lenses, and a 5th-group lens L5 which is a positive lens and has an aspherical surface as one surface in order from a screen side. The 5th-group lens is arranged nearby a liquid crystal panel and a gap into which an optical element for R, G, and B composition is inserted is formed between the 5th and 4th groups. This lens has a 3.5 aperture ratio and a ≥35° wide half field angle.