Selective production of para-xylene

In a process for manufacture of xylene by reacting toluene with a methylating agent in the presence of a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite catalyst, the improvement resulting in a proportion of para-xylene greater than the thermodynamic equilibrium proportion of total xylenes which comprises conducting the reaction at a temperature between about 400.degree. and about 500.degree. C in the presence of a catalyst comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite, which has not undergone prior surface deactivation by treatment with a compound of nitrogen or silicon, characterized by (1) a silica to alumina ratio of at least about 12, (2) a constraint index within the approximate range of 1 to 12 and (3) a crystal size greater than 1 micron.