To provide a coating composition capable of forming a hydrophilic coating film which has high transparency and which is excellent in abrasion resistance (adhesion), hydrophilicity (anti-fogging, wettability and anti-fouling properties) and hydrophilic durability. A coating composition for forming a hydrophilic coating film, which comprises boehmite particles, silica particles, a binder and water, wherein the crystallite diameter of the boehmite particles, as calculated from the diffraction peak of the (120) plane, is from 20 to 50 nm, the average particle diameter of the silica particles is from 5 to 50 nm, the proportion of the boehmite particles is from 20 to 80 mass% based on the total amount of the boehmite particles and the silica particles, and the proportion of the binder is from 0.5 to 15 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass in total of the boehmite particles and the silica particles. The article having a hydrophilic coating film on a surface of a base material, has a hydrophilic coating film formed from the above coating composition.
