[It is an object] to provide an organic electroluminescent element with which the initial durability of the element can be greatly improved while maintaining the efficiency of the element at a high level. This is an organic electroluminescent element having an anode, a hole injection layer, a first hole transport layer, a second hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, and a cathode, in this order, with this organic electroluminescent element being such that the aforementioned hole injection layer includes a material for which the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) is less than −4.0 eV and also such that the energy E1(LUMO) of the LUMO of the material included in the aforementioned first hole transport layer and the energy E2(LUMO) of the LUMO of the material included in the aforementioned second hole transport layer satisfy [the inequality] E1(LUMO)>E2(LUMO).