Polyarylene sulfide production method and polyarylene sulfide

A method of producing a polyarylene sulfide comprising:

• (1) a preparation step of preparing a charged mixture containing an organic amide solvent, a sulfur source, water, an alkali metal hydroxide, and a dihalo aromatic compound;
• (2) a first-stage polymerization step of performing a polymerization reaction on the charged mixture at a temperature of from 170 to 280° C. to produce a prepolymer having a conversion ratio of the dihalo aromatic compound of 50% or greater;
• and
• (3) a second-stage polymerization step of continuing the polymerization reaction in a phase-separated state at a temperature of from 245 to 290° C. in a reaction system containing the prepolymer,
• the method including adding a polyfunctional compound to the reaction system in the phase-separated state after the temperature reaches 245 to 290° C., and after a phase separation agent is added to the reaction system in the second-stage polymerization.