A photographing optical lens assembly includes five lens elements which are, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The third lens element has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The fifth lens element has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and the image-side surface of the fifth lens element has at least one convex shape in an off-axis region thereof.