The invention provides a laminate-type piezoelectric element comprising a
ceramic laminate 10 with ceramic layers 11 and internal electrode layers
12 respectively stacked alternately, and a pair of external electrodes
respectively connecting with a pair of connecting areas 15 formed at an
outer peripheral area of the ceramic laminate 10. The internal electrode
layer comprises an internal electrode part 120 with electric
conductivity, and a non-pole part 120 where the internal electrode part
120 does not exist at the inside near an outer peripheral area. The
ceramic laminate 10 comprises stress relaxation parts 13 able to modify
more easily their shapes than the ceramic layers 11, along at least a
part of said internal electrode layers. This stress relaxation part 13 is
placed so as to overlap with the non-pole part 129 of either of the
internal electrode layers 12, in a stacking direction of the ceramic
laminate 10.