An object of the present invention is to provide a method for reducing a halogenobenzoic acid ester, in which dehalogenation is inhibited, by using a readily available catalyst. The method comprises reducing an ester with hydrogen gas by using an aromatic hydrocarbon as a solvent in the presence of a ruthenium complex represented by the following general formula (1): RuXY(CO)(L)  (1) where X and Y represent monovalent anionic ligands, and L represents a tridentate aminodiphosphine ligand represented by the following general formula (2): where RZ1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, each RZ2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a halogen atom, any adjacent two RZ2s may form a ring, Hal represents a halogen atom, and n represents 0 to 4.