A metal halide lamp is comprised of an airtight tube having a discharge section in which a discharge space is formed; a discharge medium which is enclosed in the discharge space, contains metal halide exhibiting a molar ratio of sodium halide to scandium halide of 1.5 or below and 8 atm or higher of xenon but does not substantially contain mercury; and a pair of electrodes with their tip ends arranged to oppose to each other in the discharge space, wherein halogen atoms bonded to metal in the metal halide mostly consist of iodine and bromine atoms, and a ratio of the bromine atoms is in a range of 10 to 50% and the total amount of the metal halide enclosed is 0.02 mg/μl or less.