The present invention provides: a water-absorbing composition such that portions containing the water-absorbing composition in a high concentration exhibit excessive-liquid permeation buffering effects in absorbent articles comprising the water-absorbing composition and hydrophilic fibers; and a use of this water-absorbing composition. The water-absorbing composition comprises a water-absorbent resin and an excessive-liquid permeation buffer, wherein the water-absorbent resin is a product by a process including the step of further crosslinking the surface vicinity of a crosslinked polymer, and this water-absorbing composition is characterized by having a liquid permeation buffering index of not less than 0.4 and exhibiting an absorption capacity of not less than 25 g/g in absorbent structures under load, and further having an average particle diameter in the range of 200˜600 &mgr;m, wherein the ratio of particles having particle diameters smaller than 106 &mgr;m in the water-absorbing composition is not more than 5 weight %. This water-absorbing composition is, for example, used for the absorbent articles comprising the water-absorbing composition and the hydrophilic fibers.