A lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a carbon material as an active material, and a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising a solute dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent in which .gamma.-butyrolactone is the main solvent, wherein the carbon material has a ratio (I.sub.D/I.sub.G) of a Raman spectrum intensity (a peak intensity ratio) (R) obtained by Raman spectroscopy of 0.2 or greater, and the nonaqueous electrolyte includes at least 0.1 part by weight of vinylene carbonate and at least 0.1 part by weight of vinyl ethylene carbonate in 100 parts by weight of the nonaqueous electrolyte.