There is disclosed a method for producing water-absorbent resin particles comprising a step that includes reversed-phase suspension polymerization of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer in a suspension containing a surfactant that comprises a surfactant that comprises a fatty acid ester of sorbitan or sorbitol, or derivative thereof, and a hydrocarbon dispersion medium. The fatty acid ester includes a lauric acid ester and at least one kind of other ester selected from the group consisting of palmitic acid esters, stearic acid esters and behenic acid esters. The proportion of the peak area for lauric acid ester is 30-60%, based on the total peak area for fatty acid esters in the GPC chromatogram obtained from the fatty acid esters, and the proportion of the total peak area for other ester is 10-50%.