To provide a roller for a rotary compressor having excellent wear resistance.

This roller for a rotary compressor is composed of cast iron having a composition containing, by weight, 0.50 to 1.00% Mn, 0.50 to 1.20% Cr and 0.15 to 0.40% Mo and moreover containing one or two kinds selected from 0.15 to 0.40% Ni and 0.15 to 0.40% Cu by 0.15 to 0.40% in total, in which quenching and tempering treatment is applied to disperse carbides into the matrix, graphite has a shape distribution of an A type in the ASTM standard, and hardness is controlled to 47 to 55 HRC.