To provide a catalyst for isomerizing a paraffin hydrocarbon, particularly, isomerizing n-paraffin into iso-paraffin and to provide a method for manufacturing this catalyst and a method for isomerizing the paraffin hydrocarbon effectively by using this catalyst.

This catalyst for isomerizing the paraffin hydrocarbon is manufactured by depositing a noble metal component on a carrier and has such a characteristic that when a concentration distribution of a noble metal in the cross section of this catalyst is measured by an electron probe micro analysis (EPMA), an A/B ratio (wherein A is the concentration height in the outside surface part of this catalyst; B is the concentration height in the central part of this catalyst) exceeds 2.