To provide a new vinyl alcohol-based resin whose aqueous solution has excellent viscosity stability, high speed coatability, and adhesive performances to wood, and which can provide films excellent in aqueous solubility, and to provide a use thereof.

This new vinyl alcohol-based resin having 1,2-glycol groups on side chains is obtained by saponifying and decarboxylating a copolymer obtained by copolymerizing a vinyl ester-based ester with vinyl ethylene carbonate by a dropping copolymerization method, preferably by HANNA method. An adhesive, a molded article, a coating, an emulsifier or a suspending agent which use each the new vinyl alcohol-based resin.