A vertical cavity light-emitting element comprises a substrate, a first multilayer reflector formed on the substrate, a semiconductor structure layer formed on the first multilayer reflector and including a light emitting layer, a second multilayer reflector formed on the semiconductor structure layer and constituting a resonator together with the first multilayer reflector, and a light guide layer configured to form a light guide structure including a center region extending in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of said substrate between the first and second multilayer reflectors and including a light emission center of the light-emitting layer and a peripheral region provided around the center region and having a smaller optical distance between the first and second multilayer reflectors than that in the center region. The second multilayer reflector has a flatness property over the center region and the peripheral region.