A method for drying a particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer which comprises polymerizing acrylic acid (or partially neutralized salt thereof) with a crosslinking agent in an aqueous solution to obtain a particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer of a partially neutralized salt of polyacrylic acid containing acrylic acid (or salt thereof) as a main component and having a solid content concentration of 35% to 75% by weight, and drying the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer with a through-circulation dryer which may comprise multiple drying chambers and wherein the drying is carried out using hot air having a temperature of 130 to 230°C and a dew point of 50 to 80°C, wherein over 60% or more of a period from a time of introducing the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer into a drying zone of the through-circulation dryer to a time of reaching a solid content concentration thereof to 80% by weight, a difference of temperature (ΔT) between a temperature of hot air blown to a particulate hydrogel layer and a temperature measured after the hot air passes through the particulate hydrogel layer is 20 to 70°C, said difference in temperature being controlled to 20°C to 70°C by selecting one or two or more of to as below: controlling a thickness of the particulate hydrogel layer deposited on a belt of the through-circulation dryer to be 10 mm to 90 mm; controlling a temperature of the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer immediately before being introduced into the drying zone to be 40 to 70°C; controlling a bulk specific density (degree of compression) of the particulate hydrogel layer deposited on the belt so as to give the thickness of the particulate hydrogel layer deposited on the belt as defined in the ; controlling a weight average particle diameter (D50) of the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer to be 0.1 mm to 4 mm; controlling a moisture content of the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer, as defined by a solid content concentration thereof, to be 25% to 65% by weight; controlling a linear velocity of the hot air used in the through-circulation dryer to be 3.0 m/sec or less; and depositing a particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer in an area of about 0.85 m 2 to 1 m 2 , relative to 1 m 2 of a surface area of belt; and wherein the dew point of the hot air is varied at a dew point width of 1°C or more per minute of drying time or per drying chamber. controlling a thickness of the particulate hydrogel layer deposited on a belt of the through-circulation dryer to be 10 mm to 90 mm; controlling a temperature of the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer immediately before being introduced into the drying zone to be 40 to 70°C; controlling a bulk specific density (degree of compression) of the particulate hydrogel layer deposited on the belt so as to give the thickness of the particulate hydrogel layer deposited on the belt as defined in the ; controlling a weight average particle diameter (D50) of the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer to be 0.1 mm to 4 mm; controlling a moisture content of the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer, as defined by a solid content concentration thereof, to be 25% to 65% by weight; controlling a linear velocity of the hot air used in the through-circulation dryer to be 3.0 m/sec or less; and depositing a particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer in an area of about 0.85 m 2 to 1 m 2 , relative to 1 m 2 of a surface area of belt; and <EOS>