To obtain a forming fabric capable of providing adequate papermaking characteristics while tackling wear problems of crossmachine direction(CMD) yarns in a layer on the bottom side.

This three-layer forming fabric 20 comprises machine direction(MD) yarns 22, 24, etc., on the top side, CMD yarns 42, 46, etc., on the top side forming a forming layer 21 on the top side with the MD yarns 22, 24, etc., on the top side, MD yarns on the bottom side, CMD yarns on the bottom side forming a forming layer on the bottom side with the MD yarns on the bottom side and plural sewing yarns 44a, 44b, etc., interwoven with the forming layer on the top side and the forming layer on the bottom side. The MD yarns and CMD yarns on the bottom side are formed into a series of repeating units and woven so that the MD yarns on the bottom side pass under the two CMD yarns on the nonadjacent bottom side and form MD knuckles on the bottom side and a pair of MD yarns on the bottom side separated by the one or two MD yarns on the bottom side form the MD knuckles on the bottom side under the CMD yarns on the common bottom side.