A single-crystal silicon carbide substrate has a main surface having a surface roughness fulfilling Ra≤1 nm, and has a ratio of hidden scratches of less than 50%, where, in the case where the main surface is arbitrary observed at 50 or more observation points with a field of view having a diameter of 100 μm, the ratio of hidden scratches is defined by a value obtained by dividing the number of the observation points at which a striped hidden scratch having a length of at least 50 μm by the total number of the observation points.