To provide a surface treatment method for hydrophilizing a surface of a treatment target and preventing charging by a simple and easy method and an anti-static agent. The present invention provides a surface treatment method. The method comprises an anti-static treatment step of coating a treatment target with an anti-static agent comprising an electrolyte (e1), a hydrophilic polymer (a) and water, and having electrical conductivity of 15 mS/m or more to obtain a coated film (A), drying the coated film (A) to obtain an anti-static layer, and a hydrophilizing treatment step of coating the anti-static layer with a hydrophilizing treatment agent comprising a hydrophilic polymer (b) and an alcohol to obtain a coated film (B), and drying the coated film (B), followed by rinsing thereof.