A polycrystalline silicon rod manufacturing method wherein m silicon cores, m being an integer of 2 or greater, are arranged in a reactor vessel, a source gas containing trichlorosilane is supplied into the reactor vessel, and polycrystalline silicon is deposited on the silicon cores electrically heated using a CVD method, to obtain polycrystalline silicon rods having a diameter not less than 160mm, the method comprising a high-frequency current applying process for heating the polycrystalline silicon rods by applying through the polycrystalline silicon rods a current having a frequency of not less than 2 kHz, wherein the high-frequency current applying process comprises supplying a high-frequency current from one high-frequency power source supplying a single high-frequency current to n polycrystalline silicon rods, n being an integer of 2 or greater and not more than m, connected to each other in series whose diameter reaches a predetermined value D 0 of not less than 80mm due to the deposition of polycrystalline silicon, and a frequency of the high-frequency current is set so that a skin depth at which the high-frequency current flows through the n series-connected polycrystalline silicon rods takes a desired value in the range of not less than 13.8 mm and not more than 80.0 mm, wherein a surface temperature of the polycrystalline silicon rods is controlled in a range of not less than 900°C and not more than 1250°C to deposit polycrystalline silicon; the method further comprising: a process to heat the silicon cores by applying a current through the silicon cores before the high-frequency current applying process, and a process to commence a deposition of polycrystalline silicon on surfaces of the silicon cores after the surfaces of the silicon cores become a desired temperature; and wherein the m silicon cores are connected to each other in parallel before the process to heat the silicon cores, then current from one low-frequency power source supplies a low-frequency current to the m silicon cores, and when the diameter of the m polycrystalline silicon rods reaches the predetermined value D 0, the m polycrystalline silicon rods are switched to be connected to each other in series, and the high-frequency current applying process is performed by supplying the high-frequency current from the one high-frequency power source. the method comprising a high-frequency current applying process for heating the polycrystalline silicon rods by applying through the polycrystalline silicon rods a current having a frequency of not less than 2 kHz, wherein the high-frequency current applying process comprises supplying a high-frequency current from one high-frequency power source supplying a single high-frequency current to n polycrystalline silicon rods, n being an integer of 2 or greater and not more than m, connected to each other in series whose diameter reaches a predetermined value D 0 of not less than 80mm due to the deposition of polycrystalline silicon, and a frequency of the high-frequency current is set so that a skin depth at which the high-frequency current flows through the n series-connected polycrystalline silicon rods takes a desired value in the range of not less than 13.8 mm and not more than 80.0 mm, wherein a surface temperature of the polycrystalline silicon rods is controlled in a range of not less than 900°C and not more than 1250°C to deposit polycrystalline silicon; the method further comprising: a process to heat the silicon cores by applying a current through the silicon cores before the high-frequency current applying process, and a process to commence a deposition of polycrystalline silicon on surfaces of the silicon cores after the surfaces of the silicon cores become a desired temperature; and wherein the m silicon cores are connected to each other in parallel before the process to heat the silicon cores, then current from one low-frequency power source supplies a low-frequency current to the m silicon cores, and when the diameter of the m polycrystalline silicon rods reaches the predetermined value D 0, the m polycrystalline silicon rods are switched to be connected to each other in series, and the high-frequency current applying process is performed by supplying the high-frequency current from the one high-frequency power source. a process to heat the silicon cores by applying a current through the silicon cores before the high-frequency current applying process, and a process to commence a deposition of polycrystalline silicon on surfaces of the silicon cores after the surfaces of the silicon cores become a desired temperature; and wherein the m silicon cores are connected to each other in parallel before the process to heat the silicon cores, then current from one low-frequency power source supplies a low-frequency current to the m silicon cores, and when the diameter of the m polycrystalline silicon rods reaches the predetermined value D 0, the m polycrystalline silicon rods are switched to be connected to each other in series, and the high-frequency current applying process is performed by supplying the high-frequency current from the one high-frequency power source.