To provide a highly water-absorbing porous body composed of a thermoplastic resin, having dense and uniform open cells, being extremely excellent in water-absorbing performance, having low hardness and having slight damage of water-absorbed body contacting with a water-absorbing roll and to provide a method for producing the porous body.

The highly water-absorbing porous body is obtained by formulating a polyvinyl chloride powder resin with a thermoplastic polyurethane powder resin, further adding water-soluble salts, plasticizer and as necessary, the other additive thereto and thermally molding the mixture and eluting the water-soluble salts from the resultant molded product. The method for producing the highly water-absorbing porous body is also provided.