To provide a water absorbent which ensures high speed and a high amount of water absorption, and has excellent workability in the outdoors and so on.

The water absorbent comprising a cross-linked gel of a carboxyalkyl cellulose or its salt with an average particle diameter of 0.1-1.8 mm is prepared by adding a solvent of 0-1,000 pts.wt. to a cross-linked carboxyalkyl cellulose or its salt of 100 pts.wt., granulating the mixture, and cross-linking the carboxyalkyl cellulose or its salt by heating. The water absorbent has vertical absorption capacity (VA5) of the physiological saline solution of 0.9 wt.% in five minutes of 12 g/g or more, and has free swelling capacity (FSC24) of the physiological saline solution of 0.9 wt.% after 24 hours of 18 g/g or more. The cross-linked gel has an average particle diameter of around 0.5-1.2 mm, and the ratio of the cross-linked gel with particle diameters of 1.0-1.8 mm to the total quantity of the cross-linked gel is optionally 10 wt.% or less.