Expanded polypropylene resin beads having a melting point of not less than 120.degree. C. but less than 140.degree. C., the melting point being determined from a DSC curve obtained by heat flux differential scanning calorimetry in accordance with JIS K7121-1987 in which a sample of 1 to 3 mg of the expanded polypropylene resin beads is heated to 200.degree. C. at a heating rate of 10.degree. C./minute, then cooled to 30.degree. C. at a rate of 10.degree. C./minute, and again heated from 30.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. at a heating rate of 10.degree. C./minute to obtain the DSC curve. The expanded polypropylene resin beads has an apparent density .rho..sub.1 before heating and an apparent density .rho..sub.2 after being heated for 10 seconds with steam at a temperature higher by 5.degree. C. than the melting point thereof, wherein a ratio of .rho..sub.1 to .rho..sub.2 is not greater than 1.5.