The present invention can provide a water-absorbent or water-retention material comprising water-absorbent resin derived from monomer unit components comprising 40 to 99 wt. % of hydroxyl alkyl (meth)acrylate, 1 to 60 wt. % of (meth)acrylic acid and/or alkali metal salt thereof and 0.00001 to 3 wt. % of crosslinking agent; and a water-absorbent or water-retention material comprising water-swellable polymer which is obtained by further thermally crosslinking a particles of partially alkaline neutralized product of a copolymer of 20 to 99 mol % of acrylamide and 1 to 80 mol % of acrylic acid. The water-absorbent or water-retention material of the present invention is not readily subject to an influence of salts, and the absorbency does not deteriorate with respect to an aqueous solution containing a great amount of metallic ion of salts.