The present invention relates to a separation membrane element including: a separation membrane; and a permeate-side channel material disposed on a permeate side of the separation membrane, wherein the permeate-side channel material is a rugged sheet object having a recess and a protrusion on at least one face thereof, the rugged sheet object is composed of a porous region formed of a through-hole in a thickness direction of the rugged sheet and a non-porous region other than the porous region, and a rate of a number of the through-hole in the recess of the rugged sheet object to a total number of the through-hole present in the rugged sheet object is 80% or more.