Provided is a resist underlayer film-forming composition for forming resist underlayer film usable as hard mask and removable by wet etching process using chemical solution such as sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide. A resist underlayer film-forming composition for lithography includes a component (A) and component (B), the component (A) includes a hydrolyzable silane, hydrolysis product thereof, or hydrolysis-condensation product thereof, the hydrolyzable silane includes hydrolyzable silane of Formula (1): R1aR2bSi(R3)4−(a+b) (where R1 is organic group of Formula (2): [chemical expression included] and is bonded to silicon atom through a Si—C bond; R3 is an alkoxy group, acyloxy group, or halogen group; is an integer of 1; b is an integer of 0 to 2; and a+b is an integer of 1 to 3), and the component (B) is cross-linkable compound having ring structure having alkoxymethyl group or hydroxymethyl group, cross-linkable compound having epoxy group or blocked isocyanate group.