A covering chain stitch sewing machine needle for a covering chain stitch sewing machine having a plurality of needles, wherein the covering chain stitch sewing machine needle is configured to be used as each one of the needles of the covering chain stitch sewing machine that performs sewing in such a manner that the needles arranged in parallel and at different heights in a direction perpendicular to a fabric feeding direction move up and down so as to form loops under a fabric, and the loops are then scooped by a looper, wherein the covering chain stitch sewing machine needle comprises: a shank portion that is held when the covering chain stitch sewing machine needle is attached to the sewing machine; and a needle shaft portion that has a thread hole formed at a front end portion of the needle shaft portion and that can be inserted into and extracted from the fabric; wherein: in the needle shaft portion, a front groove extending in a longitudinal direction from an opening edge of the thread hole toward the shank portion is formed, and a scarf portion having a shape formed by recessing the contour of the needle shaft portion is formed on a back side of the front groove; and wherein the scarf portion is provided adjacently to the thread hole and wherein a distance between the scarf portion and the thread hole is formed to be shorter than a width of the thread hole in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that, the front groove has a step portion, wherein the step portion is provided on a shank portion side with respect to a longitudinal middle position of the needle shaft portion and wherein the step portion is formed so that a depth of the front groove at the step portion increases from a needle tip side toward the shank portion. wherein the covering chain stitch sewing machine needle is configured to be used as each one of the needles of the covering chain stitch sewing machine that performs sewing in such a manner that the needles arranged in parallel and at different heights in a direction perpendicular to a fabric feeding direction move up and down so as to form loops under a fabric, and the loops are then scooped by a looper, wherein the covering chain stitch sewing machine needle comprises: a shank portion that is held when the covering chain stitch sewing machine needle is attached to the sewing machine; and a needle shaft portion that has a thread hole formed at a front end portion of the needle shaft portion and that can be inserted into and extracted from the fabric; wherein: in the needle shaft portion, a front groove extending in a longitudinal direction from an opening edge of the thread hole toward the shank portion is formed, and a scarf portion having a shape formed by recessing the contour of the needle shaft portion is formed on a back side of the front groove; and wherein the scarf portion is provided adjacently to the thread hole and wherein a distance between the scarf portion and the thread hole is formed to be shorter than a width of the thread hole in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that, the front groove has a step portion, wherein the step portion is provided on a shank portion side with respect to a longitudinal middle position of the needle shaft portion and wherein the step portion is formed so that a depth of the front groove at the step portion increases from a needle tip side toward the shank portion. in the needle shaft portion, a front groove extending in a longitudinal direction from an opening edge of the thread hole toward the shank portion is formed, and a scarf portion having a shape formed by recessing the contour of the needle shaft portion is formed on a back side of the front groove; and wherein the scarf portion is provided adjacently to the thread hole and wherein a distance between the scarf portion and the thread hole is formed to be shorter than a width of the thread hole in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that, the front groove has a step portion, wherein the step portion is provided on a shank portion side with respect to a longitudinal middle position of the needle shaft portion and wherein the step portion is formed so that a depth of the front groove at the step portion increases from a needle tip side toward the shank portion.