PURPOSE: To obtain a water-absorbing resin in the form of beads of a large particle diameter by subjecting an aqueous solution of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer to reversed phase suspension polymerization, adding the aqueous monomer solution and a specified surfactant to the system and subjecting the entire mixture to additional reversed phase suspension polymerization.

CONSTITUTION: A water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer (A) is subjected to 1st water-in-oil reversed phase suspension polymerization in the presence of an emulsifier (B) and optionally a crosslinking agent in a hydrophobic organic solvent (C). A nonionic or anionic surfactant having an HLB higher than that of the component B and equal to or higher than 7 and an additional amount of the component A are added to the polymerization system and allowed to be absorbed by the water-containing polymer gel particles formed in the 1st stage, and subjecting the entire mixture to additional reversed phase suspension polymerization. This operation is repeated at least once to obtain a water-absorbing resin. According to this process, a water- absorbing resin in the form of beads of a large particle diameter can be obtained at good efficiency of granulation. The component A used is for example (meth) acrylamide, and the component B used is for example sorbitan fatty acid ester.