To provide a process for the production of a spherical carrier composed mainly of alumina, having uniform diameter and smooth surface, uniform from the outer surface to the inner part and having controllable pore characteristics.

The objective spherical carrier is produced by adding an alumina sol and/or silica sol containing Al2O3 and/or SiO2 at a concentration of 5-20wt.% to an amorphous alumina hydrate gel in an amount of 5-15wt.% in terms of oxide based on the weight of the amorphous alumina hydrate gel in terms of oxide, adding a solution containing 0.5-3.0wt.% of a bivalent metal ion such as calcium, magnesium, barium or strontium to the produced mixture to obtain a slurry having a concentration of 1-5wt.%, dropping the slurry to a solution of a polysaccharide such as L-M-pectin or sodium alginate having a concentration of 0.5-3.0wt.% to form a spherical hydrogel, aging the gel, drying the hydrogel sphere under constant temperature and humidity condition at 40-600°C and 80-95% RH and baking the obtained dried spherical carrier at 500-900°C.