Powder for solid oxide fuel cell air electrode and method of manufacturing same

A powder material for an air electrode in a solid oxide fuel cell, the powder material comprising:

• a powder of a metal composite oxide having a perovskite crystal structure represented by a following general formula:
• A11-xA2xBO3-δ,
• where the element A1 is at least one selected from the group consisting of La and Sm, the element A2 is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba, the element B is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, x satisfies 0<x<1, and δ is an oxygen deficiency amount,
• the powder having a specific surface area of 20 m2/g or more,
• the powder satisfying (Crystallite diameter/Specific surface area-based particle diameter)≥0.3, and
• the powder containing elements M in an amount of 300 ppm or less in terms of atoms, the elements M being other than the element A1, the element A2, the element B, and oxygen.