A hybrid vehicle control device is provided with an engine, a motor, a mode switching mechanism and an engine start control unit. The motor is disposed in a drive system between the engine and a driving wheel for starting the engine and driving the driving wheel. The mode switching mechanism is operatively coupled to a connecting portion of the engine and the motor. The motor starts the engine upon an engine start request being outputted while traveling with only the motor as a drive source. The engine start control unit makes starting the engine more difficult, upon determining vehicle speed is increasing while a depression operation of an accelerator is occurring, until the rotational speed of the motor decreases, by performing an upshift operation that reduces a gear ratio by making a starting condition of the engine stricter as compared to a gear ratio prior to the upshift operation.