To provide a surface-modified water-absorbing polymer improved in liquid penetrability in water absorption and touch feeling in drying after water absorption without impairing its water absorption factor.

The surface-modified water-absorbing polymer is such that a hydrophobic polymeric surface modifier is stuck and immobilized on the surface of a water-absorbing polymer. For this surface-modified water-absorbing polymer, the surface maintains hydrophobicity even in being wet, therefore this polymer affords the above-mentioned advantages, being widely usable not only in hygienic goods including disposable paper diapers, repeatedly usable cloth diapers and incontinence pads but also as a sludge coagulant, agricultural water-holding agent, dew condensation-proofing agent, etc.