Ethylene-(Vinyl Alcohol) Copolymer and Method for Producing Same

An ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer having an ethylene unit content from 15 to 60 mol % and a saponification degree of 85 mol % or more, wherein

• the copolymer comprises a molecule having a structure (I) below at an end and a molecule having a structure (II) below at an end,
• a total content of the structure (I) and the structure (II) in all monomer units is from 0.002 to 0.020 mol %, and
• a molar ratio R [I/(I+II)] of the structure (I) to the total of the structure (I) and the structure (II) satisfies formula (1) below:
• wherein Y represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• wherein Z represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• and
• 0.8<R+Et/100 (1)
• wherein Et represents the ethylene unit content (mol %).