To provide a new method for producing an aromatic carboxylic ester comprising directly converting an alkyl substituent-containing aromatic compound into the aromatic carboxylic ester by oxidation using molecular oxygen in the presence of a primary alcohol.

The new method for producing the aromatic carboxylic ester comprises carrying out a reaction between the alkyl substituent-containing aromatic compound, the primary alcohol and oxygen in the presence of a carrying-type noble metal catalyst. By this method, the objective aromatic carboxylic ester can be produced in high efficiency by a direct single-step reaction through performing the oxidation of the alkyl substituent in the presence of the primary alcohol and the catalyst. This method is an economical and reasonable method for producing a hydroxybenzoic ester without by-product formation.