Abstract: Porous membranes are produced by dissolving a film-forming polymer in a good solvent for the polymer, forming a film of the resulting polymer solution, and forcibly contacting saturated steam or mist-containing steam with at least one surface of said film. Such porous membranes have pores having a narrow pore diameter distribution and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the membrane surface at a high surface pore density on at least one surface thereof.