To improve the ratio between first and second halides sealed in a mercury-free lamp, thereby providing a 
metal halide lamp which has a high luminous efficiency and a low lamp 
voltage reduction and emits light of an appropriate color and an automotive 
headlamp apparatus incorporating the same. A 
metal halide lamp includes a hermetic vessel 1 which is fire resistant and translucent; a pair of electrodes 3, 3 sealed in the hermetic vessel with facing each other at a distant of 5 mm or less; and a 
discharge medium substantially containing no mercury, sealed in the hermetic vessel 1, and containing first halides mainly including 
scandium halide and 
sodium halide, a second halide for mainly providing a lamp 
voltage and a 
xenon gas at 5 atmospheres or higher at a temperature of 25° C., the amounts of 
scandium halide and 
sodium halide sealed in the hermetic vessel satisfying the formula of 0.25<a / (a+b)<0.5, where reference character a denotes the 
mass of 
scandium halide and reference character b denotes the 
mass of 
sodium halide, in which, in a 
stable state, the 
metal halide lamp is turned on with a lamp power of 60 W or lower.