A surface light emitting element includes a light emitting layer that emits light, a first electrode layer that is provided on the side of the light emitting layer from which the light is extracted and allows the light that has been emitted by the light emitting layer to pass through, a second electrode layer that is provided on the side of the light emitting layer from which light is not extracted, a light scattering layer that is provided on the side of the first electrode layer opposite to the side on which the light emitting layer is positioned, and a transparent substrate that is provided on the side of the light scattering layer opposite to the side on which the light emitting layer is positioned, wherein a conductive material in which the real part of a complex dielectric constant is negative is used in the first electrode layer.