A hydrogen-absorbing alloy for a negative electrode in an alkaline storage battery includes a first hydrogen-absorbing alloy and a second first hydrogen-absorbing alloy. The first hydrogen-absorbing alloy contains at least a rare-earth element, Mg, Ni, and Al, and has an intensity ratio I.sub.A/I.sub.B of 0.1 or greater in X-ray diffraction analysis using Cu--K.alpha. radiation as an X-ray source, where I.sub.A is the strongest peak intensity that appears in the range of 2.theta.=31.degree. to 33.degree., and I.sub.B is the strongest peak intensity that appears in the range of 2.theta.=40.degree. to 44.degree.. The second hydrogen-absorbing alloy has a Co content greater than that of the first hydrogen-absorbing alloy.