In an electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery which includes a current collector and a thin film composed of active material that has the capability to store and release lithium either electrochemically or chemically and deposited on the current collector, the current collector comprises a copper alloy and has a tensile strength of 400 N/mm.sup.2 or higher, a proportional limit of 160 N/mm.sup.2 or higher, an elastic coefficient of 1.1 N/mm.sup.2 or higher and a surface roughness Ra of 0.01 1 .mu.m at its surface that carries the thin film of active material thereon.