To provide a dispersant for suspension polymerization of a vinyl compound enabling the polymerization to be made stably and giving vinyl polymer beads which are high in bulk density, have a granular structure of high porosity, are sharp in size distribution and are good in processability.

The dispersant comprises a water-soluble polyvinyl ester resin which is 1.5-80 mPa.s in its 4 wt% aqueous solution viscosity at 20°C and contains oxyalkylene group(s) on the end or in the molecular chain.