By allowing a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer to undergo a reversed-phase suspension polymerization in the presence of a dispersion stabilizer containing a tall oil fatty acid ester, using a radical polymerization initiator in a hydrocarbon dispersion medium, water-absorbent resin particles achieving both satisfactory water-absorption ability and a state of particles having a moderate particle size and having a narrow particle size distribution are obtained. The tall oil fatty acid ester usable herein is usually at least one kind of ester selected from the group consisting of a sorbitol tall oil fatty acid ester, a sorbitan tall oil fatty acid ester and a polyethylene glycol tall oil fatty acid ester.
