Provided is an oil-in-water emulsion sunscreen cosmetic composition that can provide high protection ability against UVA and excellent emulsion stability. The oil-in-water emulsion sunscreen cosmetic composition is characterized in that it contains (A) a hydrophobized zinc oxide having an absorbance of 0.3 or more at a wavelength of 370 nm, (B) a UVA absorber being solid at room temperature, (C) a UVB absorber, (D) a liquid-state higher fatty acid, (E) a nonionic surfactant, (F) a volatile oil, (G) a quaternary ammonium compound having a long-chain aliphatic group and (H) water. Particularly, it is preferable that the hydrophobized zinc oxide has an average particle size within a range of 35 to 100 nm the hydrophobized zinc oxide is hydrophobidized by use of hydrogen dimethicone the quaternary ammonium compound having a long-chain aliphatic group is distearyldimethylammonium chloride and the UVB absorber is octylmethoxy cinnamate.
