An absorbent comprising water-absorbing fibers which has been regulated mainly with respect to fiber orientation and further with respect to basis weight concerning fiber amount and to shape. The absorbent (110) is an absorbent comprising water-absorbing fibers. It comprises: low-basis-weight regions which are formed continuously in a first direction and have a basis weight lower than the average basis weight of the absorbent (110) and high-basis-weight regions which are disposed on both sides of each low-basis-weight region when viewed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and which extend along the low-basis-weight regions and have a basis weight higher than the average basis weight. In each of the high-basis-weight regions, the content of longitudinally oriented fibers in the fibers (101) constituting the high-basis-weight region is higher than that of laterally oriented fibers therein. In each of the low-basis-weight regions, the content of laterally oriented fibers in the fibers (101) constituting the low-basis-weight region is higher than that of longitudinally oriented fibers therein.
