A method is disclosed for producing a water-absorbent resin by a reversed-phase suspension polymerization method, wherein an odor originating from a raw material component, in particular, a petroleum hydrocarbon dispersion medium, is further reduced as compared with a water-absorbent resin obtained by a conventional method, and a water-absorbent resin obtained by the method. More specifically, a method is disclosed for producing a water-absorbent resin by performing a reversed-phase suspension polymerization of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer in a petroleum hydrocarbon dispersion medium, comprising adding and dispersing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a hydrophilic polymeric dispersion agent to a petroleum hydrocarbon dispersion medium in the presence of a surfactant under stirring, and performing a reversed-phase suspension polymerization using a radical polymerization initiator, and a water-absorbent resin obtained by the method.