The present invention provides exhaust gas purification catalyst for an internal combustion engine, and exhaust gas purification method using the catalyst. The present invention provides the exhaust gas purification catalyst including a support, a first catalyst layer on an upstream side, a second catalyst layer on a downstream side, and a third catalyst layer. In the exhaust gas purification catalyst, the upstream portion of the third catalyst layer is present on the first catalyst layer, the downstream portion of the third catalyst layer is present on the second catalyst layer, and in the middle portion between the upstream portion and the downstream portion of the third catalyst layer is present between the first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer.