A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element containing an n-type layer, a light-emitting layer on the n-type layer, a first p-type layer on the light-emitting layer and a second p-type layer on the first p-type layer, the first p-type layer containing hydrogen element and a p-type impurity element, the second p-type layer containing hydrogen element and a p-type impurity element which is the same as or different from the p-type impurity element in the first p-type layer, and the ratio of hydrogen element to the p-type impurity element in the first p-type layer being lower than the ratio of hydrogen element to the p-type impurity element in the second p-type layer, can be produced by a process including the steps of (a) allowing the first p-type layer to grow by a metal organic chemical vapor deposition method in a reaction tube and (b) allowing the second p-type layer to grow by a metal organic chemical vapor deposition method in the reaction tube, the hydrogen content in the total mixture of gases fed into the reaction tube in step (a) being lower than the hydrogen content in the total mixture of gases fed into the reaction tube in step (b).