To provide a piezoelectric element capable of preventing cracks by reducing a stress generated on a protective layer.

A laminate type piezoelectric element formed into a rectangular shape and shrunk by applying a voltage comprises: internal electrodes to which the voltage is applied; and piezoelectric layers 111 laminated alternately with the internal electrode. The internal electrodes 115, 116 are not exposed to a side face parallel to a lamination direction except for an extraction section, and peripheral edge corner sections 113a on both end faces in the lamination direction are chamfered. The internal electrodes 116 at both ends in the lamination direction are smaller than the internal electrodes 115 on a center side in the lamination direction. Thereby, a distance from the internal electrodes 115, 116 to an element outer surface is made as identical as possible from the internal electrodes 116 on both ends and the internal electrode 115 on the center side, and therefore, a difference between stresses generated at respective positions can be reduced. As a result, concentration of a stress onto a protective layer 118 can be reduced, so as to prevent cracks.