Provided is a method for producing a phenol condensate by oxidative condensation of a phenol compound not having a substituted group on at least one ortho-position, in the presence of a specific complex (II) and oxygen, wherein a condensate coupled at para-position of the phenol can be produced in an excellent yield, L-M (X).sub.n (II) wherein L represents a ligand having 2 to 4 nitrogen atoms as donor atoms, M represents copper ion, nickel ion, cobalt ion, iron ion, manganese ion, chromium ion or vanadyl ion, X represents a counter ion, n is a number of Xs.