A pattern evaluation method includes processing image data of at least one pattern serving as an object to be evaluated and detecting coordinates of edge points of the pattern in an image of the image data, making pairs of edge points from the edge points of the pattern, setting an arbitrary axis, calculating a distances between the edge points of each pair of the pairs of edge points and an angle between a straight line connecting the edge points of the pair and the axis, preparing a distance/angle distribution map which represents distribution of the distances and angles of the pairs of edge points, extracting a characteristic point of the distance/angle distribution map and analyzing the pattern on the basis of the extracted characteristic point.