An electrode assembly for a rechargeable battery, comprising: a plurality of positive and negative electrodes (11, 12, 14, 31, 32, 34, 41, 42, 44, 51, 52, 54) in the form of a stack, adjacent positive and negative electrodes having a separator (13, 33, 43, 53) between them; each of the positive and negative electrodes comprising a current collector (11a, 14a, 34a, 44a, 54a) and an active material layer (11b, 14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) on the current collector, wherein: an outermost electrode in the stack comprises a first active material layer on both sides of the current collector, and the thickness of the first active material layer (14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) in the outermost electrode (14, 34, 44, 54) is less than the thickness of a second active material layer (11b, 31b, 41b, 51b) in an electrode other than the outermost electrode, wherein the current collectors of the electrodes are in the form of a mesh, and the size of the openings in the mesh current collector in the outermost electrode is larger than the size of the openings in the mesh current collector in the electrodes other than the outermost electrode, and wherein the first active material layer in the outermost electrode comprises a third active material layer (44ba, 54ba) on one side of the current collector and a fourth active material layer (44bb, 54bb) on the other side of the current collector, and the thickness of the first active material layer (14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) in the outermost electrode (14, 34, 44, 54) is the sum of the thickness of the third active material layer (44ba, 54ba) and the thickness of the fourth active material layer (44bb, 54bb). a plurality of positive and negative electrodes (11, 12, 14, 31, 32, 34, 41, 42, 44, 51, 52, 54) in the form of a stack, adjacent positive and negative electrodes having a separator (13, 33, 43, 53) between them; each of the positive and negative electrodes comprising a current collector (11a, 14a, 34a, 44a, 54a) and an active material layer (11b, 14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) on the current collector, wherein: an outermost electrode in the stack comprises a first active material layer on both sides of the current collector, and the thickness of the first active material layer (14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) in the outermost electrode (14, 34, 44, 54) is less than the thickness of a second active material layer (11b, 31b, 41b, 51b) in an electrode other than the outermost electrode, wherein the current collectors of the electrodes are in the form of a mesh, and the size of the openings in the mesh current collector in the outermost electrode is larger than the size of the openings in the mesh current collector in the electrodes other than the outermost electrode, and wherein the first active material layer in the outermost electrode comprises a third active material layer (44ba, 54ba) on one side of the current collector and a fourth active material layer (44bb, 54bb) on the other side of the current collector, and the thickness of the first active material layer (14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) in the outermost electrode (14, 34, 44, 54) is the sum of the thickness of the third active material layer (44ba, 54ba) and the thickness of the fourth active material layer (44bb, 54bb). an outermost electrode in the stack comprises a first active material layer on both sides of the current collector, and the thickness of the first active material layer (14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) in the outermost electrode (14, 34, 44, 54) is less than the thickness of a second active material layer (11b, 31b, 41b, 51b) in an electrode other than the outermost electrode, wherein the current collectors of the electrodes are in the form of a mesh, and the size of the openings in the mesh current collector in the outermost electrode is larger than the size of the openings in the mesh current collector in the electrodes other than the outermost electrode, and wherein the first active material layer in the outermost electrode comprises a third active material layer (44ba, 54ba) on one side of the current collector and a fourth active material layer (44bb, 54bb) on the other side of the current collector, and the thickness of the first active material layer (14b, 34b, 44b, 54b) in the outermost electrode (14, 34, 44, 54) is the sum of the thickness of the third active material layer (44ba, 54ba) and the thickness of the fourth active material layer (44bb, 54bb).