A water-in-oil emulsion composition which contains a low water-solubility but oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber, and which exhibits excellent ultraviolet light protection and stability. The composition contains (a) an aqueous dispersion of an oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber; (b) a polyoxyalkylene-modified polysiloxane having a molecular mass of at least 2000; and (c) at most 5 mass % of an ultraviolet scattering agent; and component (a) being contained in the internal phase. Component (a) is preferably an aqueous dispersion of a complex particle of an oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber and an organic polymer.