A plasma display apparatus may include an external light shielding sheet attached to a front of a panel to absorb and shield externally incident light. Accordingly, a black image can be implemented close to an original color and bright and dark room contrast can be improved. Furthermore, thickness of the external light shielding sheet and height of a pattern unit have a given ratio in order to properly secure an aperture ratio of the external light shielding sheet. Accordingly, light emitted into the panel can transmit toward a user side.