Stainless steel that has excellent formability and ridging resistance and can be produced with high productivity is provided. The stainless steel comprises: a chemical composition containing, in mass %, C: 0.005% to 0.050%, Si: 0.01% to 1.00%, Mn: 0.01% to 1.0%, P: 0.040% or less, S: 0.010% or less, Cr: 15.5% to 18.0%, Ni: 0.01% to 1.0%, Al: 0.001% to 0.10%, and N: 0.005% to 0.06%, with a balance being Fe and incidental impurities; and a microstructure containing a martensite phase of 1% to 10% in volume fraction with respect to a whole volume of the microstructure.