The present invention relates to a process for producing optically active -nitroalcohols wherein nitroaldol reactions of aldehydes and nitroalkanes are carried out in the presence of a base and an optically active metal complex catalyst represented by ##STR1##

(where R⁴, R⁵, and R⁶ represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, an acyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, or an aryloxycarbonyl group, and R⁵ and R⁶ may be linked together to form a ring; X* represents a hydrocarbon group having an asymmetric carbon atom or axial asymmetry; M represents a cobalt ion or a chromium ion; and Y represents an anion capable of forming a salt when the valence of M is larger than that of a ligand).