Hydrogen absorbing alloy and nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery

An object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen absorbing alloy which can improve a high rate discharge property while suppressing particle size reduction, exhibits cycle life characteristics equal to or higher than those of conventional alloys even when its cobalt content is decreased, and has a high capacity. Specifically, the present invention provides a hydrogen absorbing alloy having a CaCutype crystal structure in its principal phase.