A β-SiAlON fluorescent material includes fluorescent material particles having a composition represented by the following formula (I), and a coating layer formed on the surface of the fluorescent material particles and having a refractive index smaller than that of the fluorescent material particles, wherein when the β-SiAlON fluorescent material is measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, an amount of the coating layer is 0.4% by mass or more relative to a total amount of the fluorescent material particles and the coating layer being 100% by mass: Si6-zAlzOzN8-z:Euy  (I), wherein y and z satisfy 0