The present invention relates to a novel process for the production of spherical binary and multinary mixed oxide powders in a hot-wall reactor. Through the use of aqueous or organic salt solutions or suspensions having a limited salt or solid concentration in combination with additives in the form of surfactants and/or of inorganic salts which have an exothermic decomposition reaction, a compact spherical particle morphology can be obtained, where the average particle size is in the range from 5 nm to <10 .mu.m.