The invention provides a liquid crystal composition that satisfies many characteristics among the characteristics such as a wide temperature range of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, and a large specific resistance, and a liquid crystal display device containing the composition. The liquid crystal composition has a negative dielectric anisotropy and contains a first component containing a mono-fluorine-replaced liquid crystal compound having a specific structure and a second component containing a liquid crystal compound having two or more fluorines having a specific structure, and the liquid crystal display device contains the liquid crystal composition.