An aqueous emulsion comprising an ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit-containing polymer as a dispersoid and a vinyl alcohol polymer as a dispersant, wherein the ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit-containing polymer comprises: a structural unit derived from a radical-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) having a functional group represented by the following general formula; and a structural unit derived from a radical-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q) having a functional group represented by the following general formula, wherein X and Y are the same or different, and each represent an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, Z is an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom, * represents a bond, and m is 1 or 2, the structural unit derived from the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) has a content of 0.2 to 10.0 mass% with respect to the polymer, and the structural unit derived from the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q) has a content of 0.002 to 6.0 mass% with respect to the polymer, the polymer comprises a ternary copolymer of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p), the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q), and an ethylenically unsaturated monomer (r), and the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (r) is copolymerizable with the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) and the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q), the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (r) is at least one selected from the group consisting of a vinyl ester monomer and a styrene monomer, the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) is N-(2-methacryloyloxy-ethyl)ethylene urea, or N-(2-methacrylamidoethyl)ethylene urea, and the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q) is at least one selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic acid and acrylamide. a structural unit derived from a radical-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) having a functional group represented by the following general formula; and a structural unit derived from a radical-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q) having a functional group represented by the following general formula, wherein X and Y are the same or different, and each represent an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, Z is an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom, * represents a bond, and m is 1 or 2, the structural unit derived from the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) has a content of 0.2 to 10.0 mass% with respect to the polymer, and the structural unit derived from the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q) has a content of 0.002 to 6.0 mass% with respect to the polymer, the polymer comprises a ternary copolymer of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p), the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q), and an ethylenically unsaturated monomer (r), and the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (r) is copolymerizable with the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) and the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q), the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (r) is at least one selected from the group consisting of a vinyl ester monomer and a styrene monomer, the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (p) is N-(2-methacryloyloxy-ethyl)ethylene urea, or N-(2-methacrylamidoethyl)ethylene urea, and the ethylenically unsaturated monomer (q) is at least one selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic acid and acrylamide.