Sanitary Napkin Market Overview, 2022-2027

For several years, women have relied on homemade cotton clothes to deal with the menstrual cycle. However, the growing awareness among women about feminine hygiene has spurred the demand for sanitary napkins across the globe. A sanitary napkin is an absorbent item used by a woman during her menstrual cycle. Sanitary napkins are made of cellulose, plastic, and cotton. Commercially, the first sanitary pads available on the market were in 1888, and now they represent an essential female hygiene product.

The recent publication titled Global Sanitary Napkins Market Overview, 2022-2027 provides an in-depth analysis of the market. For better analytical purposes, the market has been segmented based on material, type, sales channel, region, and country. On the basis of distribution channels, the market has been segmented into online and offline distribution channels. The offline distribution channel is further classified into supermarkets and hypermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores, and others like speciality stores and hospitals.

The high per capita income levels coupled with the increased health consciousness among consumers has positively influenced the demand for premium quality sanitary napkins in regions like North America and Europe. Together, these two regions accounted for more than 33% of the year 2021, with Asia leading the global market. Moreover, various technological advancements, such as super-absorbent fibre technology, the introduction of organic products, and the absence of chemicals in sanitary napkins, are expected to catalyse the market's growth in the upcoming years. Menstrual pads account for the highest share of the demand for feminine hygiene products due to their ease of availability as well as affordability. Greater awareness and the involvement of existing manufacturers in providing differentiated goods will also benefit the industry in the forecast period. Based on distribution channels, pharmacies exhibit a clear dominance in the industry as they are generally located in or around residential areas.

In terms of geography, the market is classified into Europe, North America, Asia, South America, and Middle East & Africa. Of all the regions, Asia is expected to create huge opportunity for the sanitary napkin market during the forecast period. Usage of sanitary napkins is low in rural areas due to a lack of awareness about menstrual hygiene. For example, in India, nearly 80% to 90% of rural women are still using cloth at the time of menstruation. As a result, women face health issues like vaginal infection, which is expected to drive the total sanitary market during the forecast period. Apart from this, governments in various African countries are distributing free sanitary napkins to schoolgirls to promote menstrual education.

The manufacturers are launching low-cost products and concentrating on product diversification in order to increase their customer base. They are launching napkins with wings and fragrances and are reducing the thickness of the pad. Furthermore, the competition is often affected by the intense advertising and marketing strategies embraced by major players in the industry. In addition, the growth in women's disposable incomes, combined with the growing number of companies providing sanitary pad subscription plans, is another factor contributing to an increase in demand for sanitary napkins. Governments in numerous countries, in conjunction with various non-profit organisations (NGOs), are undertaking initiatives to spread awareness among women about feminine hygiene, particularly in the developing economies. For example, governments in various African countries are distributing free sanitary napkins to schoolgirls to promote menstrual education.

Emerging trends are expected to expand the global sanitary pad market size, which includes a rise in e-commerce, increased adoption of sanitary napkins, and the need for eco-friendly products. Various groups, such as iCare, Saathi Pads, and ZanaAfrica, are distributing reusable and cheaper sanitary pads to improve sanitation in rural areas. The popularity of organic sanitary pads is growing worldwide due to their significant hygiene value and widespread use in both developed and developing regions. An increase in the adult female population and easy availability of products is estimated to boost the global sanitary napkin market share during the forecast period.

Natural organic sanitary napkins are sterile and free of plastic and chemicals, which makes them comfortable to use. These factors associated with eco-friendly sanitary napkins are expected to drive the demand for sanitary napkins during the forecast period. The feminine personal hygiene industry is changing rapidly and offers customizable products and services. New product developments and the usage of natural organic materials instead of plastic and synthetic materials help to increase the demand for sanitary napkins. Therefore, consumers prefer organic sanitary napkins. Moreover, women are becoming more health-conscious and leaning toward eco-friendly products.

Sanitary pad sales statistics indicate that manufacturers are developing 100% biodegradable sanitary pads made from banana fiber, one of the most absorbent natural fibres and abundant in India. Eco-friendly sanitary napkins are safer for the user because they do not contain bleach that has carcinogenic dioxins; they are completely natural sanitary napkins, thus reducing CO2 emissions during production. These new products can drive the demand for advanced products in the global sanitary napkin market. Moreover, manufacturers should innovate on cloth sanitary pads to expand their revenue streams.

According to reports from the United Nations, on average, each woman who uses sanitary napkins contributes 60 kilogrammes of sanitary napkin waste in her lifetime, which creates 100,000 tonnes of waste annually. With approximately 375 million girls and women of reproductive age, most of whom are menstruating; an estimated 1.021 billion pads are disposed of each month, most of which are non-biodegradable. According to the Menstrual Health Alliance India, a single sanitary pad could take 500 to 800 years to decompose as the plastic used is not biodegradable and can lead to health and environmental hazards. Homemade sanitary napkins are therefore promoted not only to benefit the environment but also users. Reusable pads are cost-effective and can be made at home. However, there are still some myths surrounding reusable pads, regarding their hygiene, feasibility, and absorbency. Therefore, several menstruating women prefer to use disposable sanitary napkins.

On the other hand, when menstruating, many women often find it difficult to sleep soundly at night due to heavy flow or the fear of soiling their sheets and clothes. This issue can be solved to some extent by replacing regular pads and switching to overnight pads. Manufacturers have designed overnight pads with a wide hip protector to give leakage protection while sleeping in a comfortable position. An antibacterial layer helps prevent the growth of bacteria to protect the user from infections. The dual absorbent core rapidly absorbs liquid and locks it inside to prevent stains. These overnight pads contain a dry liner to keep women comfortable even during strong flow. Moreover, the odour control mechanism uses natural oils to prevent odour. These trends boost the demand for overnight sanitary pads and consequently propel the hygiene products market.

COVID-19 Impact:

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a large impact on the water, energy, ecology, and food industries. Despite the difficult circumstances, drip irrigation firms all around the world have continued to operate. On the contrary, a labour shortage, a budget constraint, and supply chain problems have all hampered service delivery. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic's influence on the global drip irrigation market is uncertain. The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the global sanitary pad or sanitary napkin markets at the regional and national level. The COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war are profoundly affecting the global supply chain relationships and raw material price systems.

Major companies present in the market

Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Hengan International Group Company Limited, Edgewell Personal Care Company, Kao Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Unicharm Corporation, Daio Paper Corporation, Essity Aktiebolag, Ontex, First Quality Enterprises Inc

Considered in this report

• Geography: Global
• Historic year: 2016
• Base year: 2021
• Estimated year: 2022
• Forecast year: 2027

Aspects covered in this report

• Global Sanitary Napkins market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Region and Country-wise toy market analysis
• Various divers and challenges
• Ongoing trends and developments
• Five force models
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

Countries covered in the report

• North America (US, Canada, Mexico)
• Europe (Germany, UK, Spain, Italy, France, Russia)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia)
• Middle East & Africa (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa)

Segment covered in the report

By Product Type

• Sanitary Pad
• Tampons
• Panty Liner
• Menstrual Cup
• Internal Cleansers ,Disposable Razors & Blades

By Type

• Disposable
• Reusable

By Material Type

• Biodegradable
• Non- Biodegradable

By Sales Channel

• Supermarkets and Hypermarkets
• Pharmacies
• Convenience Stores
• Online
• Others (Specialty Stores, Hospitals)

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and analyzing the government- generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have verified the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to feminine hygiene products industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.


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