Disclosed is a photosensitive resin composition for forming a laser engravable printing element, comprising: (a) 100 parts by weight of a resin which is a plastomer at 20° C., wherein the resin has a number average molecular weight (Mn) of from 1,000 to 100,000 and has a polymerizable unsaturated group in an amount such that the average number of the polymerizable unsaturated group per molecule is at least 0.7, (b) 5 to 200 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of resin (a), of an organic compound having an Mn of less than 1,000 and having at least one polymerizable unsaturated group per molecule, and (c) 1 to 100 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of resin (a), of an inorganic porous material. Also disclosed is a laser engravable printing element formed from the above-mentioned resin composition.