To provide an image forming method including forming a latent electrostatic image on a latent electrostatic image bearing member, developing the latent electrostatic image using a toner to form a visible image, transferring the visible image to a recording medium, and fixing a transfer image transferred on the recording medium, wherein the toner includes a toner base particle containing at least a binder resin, a colorant and an inorganic fine particle, and a charge control agent; and wherein the condition X.sub.surf>X.sub.total is satisfied (where X.sub.surf is an average proportion of the inorganic fine particles in a near-surface region of the toner base particle, X.sub.total is an average proportion of inorganic fine particles in the whole toner base particle.