Provided are a hydrophilic porous membrane including a porous membrane and a hydroxyalkyl cellulose retained in the porous membrane, in which the average pore size differs between two surfaces of the porous membrane, the hydroxyalkyl cellulose distributed in the thickness direction of the hydrophilic porous membrane exhibits two or more peaks of detection intensity in GPC, and the weight-average molecular weight Mwmin of the peak that is detected latest among the above-mentioned peaks is less than 100,000; and a method for producing a hydrophilic porous membrane, the method including separately preparing a hydrophilizing liquid including a hydroxyalkyl cellulose having a smaller weight-average molecular weight and a hydrophilizing liquid including a hydroxyalkyl cellulose having a larger weight-average molecular weight, and applying each of the hydrophilizing liquids on two surfaces of the porous membrane or sequentially on one surface thereof.