A ceramic base body includes primary phase particles containing a CaZrO.sub.3-based compound as a primary component and secondary phase particles containing at least Mn, and internal electrodes are primarily composed of Cu. There are about 2 parts by mole or more of Mn and about 0.69 parts by mole or more of Si pph by mole of primary component, are contained in the ceramic base body, and the area ratio of the secondary phase particles on a cross-section of the ceramic base body is about 0.1% or more. Of those secondary phase particles having a particle diameter of about 0.1 .mu.m or more, about 67% or more (preferably about 85% or more) contains Cu and Si. A multilayer ceramic capacitor containing the ceramic base body can be manufactured by performing a heat treatment at a temperature of about 700.degree. C. or more in a reducing atmosphere at an oxygen partial pressure of about 10.sup.-8.5 MPa or less after the formation of external electrodes. As a result, a highly reliable multilayer ceramic capacitor can be realized in which the temperature properties of electrostatic capacitance are superior, a high Q value is obtained, and the degradation in high-temperature load lifetime can be suppressed.