A process for producing an alkali acrylate polymer having excellent salt solution-absorbency, characterized by suspending an aqueous solution of acrylic acid and an alkali metal acrylate or ammonium acrylate, wherein the monomer concentration is at least 40% by weight, the mole ratio of the acrylic acid to said acrylate is 50/50 to 2/98, in an alicyclic or aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent containing a surfactant having an HLB value of 8-12, subjecting it to inverse suspension polymerization in the presence of a water-soluble radical polymerization initiator, thereafter adding a water-soluble diglycidyl ether, haloepoxy, or aldehyde cross-linking agent, subjecting the resulting mixture to crosslinking reaction.