Porous spherical silica and method for producing the same

Provided is porous spherical silica that contains a few impurities (a low alkali metal content), that has a limited particle size distribution, D50 (diameter at 50% cumulative size distribution on a volume basis) in a predetermined range, and a pore volume in a predetermined range, and that is useful as an abrasive and a cosmetic ingredient. The porous spherical silica wherein D50 by the laser diffraction and scattering method is 2 to 200 [mu]m; D10/D90 is at least 0.3; a pore volume is 0.5 ml/g to 8 ml/g; the arithmetic mean value of the compressive forces when samples of ten particles of the porous spherical silica fracture is 1.0*101 to 1.0*102 mN, the compressive forces being obtained under the condition where the loading rate is 38.7363 mN/sec; and an alkali metal content is at most 50 ppm. The porous spherical silica may be produced by forming a W/O emulsion using a fumed silica dispersion as an aqueous phase, gelling the W/O emulsion by adjusting pH, heating, or the like, and thereafter recovering and