A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion battery positive electrode material made of lithium-containing nickel-manganese-cobalt composite oxide of a layered structure represented with LiaNixMnyCozO2 (1.0<a<1.3, 0.8<x+y+z<1.1), wherein, in a region with a molar volume Vm that is estimated from a lattice constant calculated from a (018) plane and a (113) plane in a powder X-ray diffraction pattern using CuK alpha rays as a vertical axis and Co ratio n (molar %) in metal components as a horizontal axis, the relationship thereof is within a range of Vm=21.276-0.0117n as an upper limit and Vm=21.164-0.0122n as a lower limit, and a half value width of both the (018) plane and the (113) plane is 0.200° (degrees) or less.