Sanitary Products Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities and Forecast, 2018-2028

Global sanitary products’ market size is anticipated to grow during the forecast period owing to the increasing product launches by the manufacturers and rising popularity of reusable & eco-friendly sanitary pads.

Global Sanitary Products Market Scope

Sanitary products are used by menstruators during their menstrual cycles. There are various types of products covered in sanitary products market such as pads, tampons, pantyliners, menstrual cups, and period panties. A sanitary pad, often called a sanitary napkin or a menstrual pad, is a small, thin pad made of an absorbent material that is used to absorb menstrual fluid during the menstrual cycle. Panty liners are similar to sanitary pads; however, they are smaller, less absorbent, and thinner. A menstrual cup is put into the vagina as a menstrual hygiene product during menstruation and its main function is to collect the menstrual fluid. Tampons are small, cylindrical disposable period products that are produced from highly absorbent materials. Period panties look like a normal underwear which have multiple layers of microfiber polyester, but they are made to absorb menstrual fluid while keeping moisture away from the skin.

Global Sanitary Products Market Overview

The global sanitary products market is expected to grow during the forecast period owing to increasing government initiatives for educating the menstruators about the usage and benefits of sanitary products as many people around the world are still not aware about the usage of such products during menstruation in developing countries such as Bangladesh. According to UNICEF, in Bangladesh and Egypt only 32% and 66% of girls were aware of menstruation before their first period. For instance, according to the World Bank, the Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is required for the wellbeing of the women around the world. More than 300 million women in the world are menstruating at any particular time and around an estimated 500 million women worldwide lack access to menstruation products and proper period hygiene management facilities. Girls and women need access to wash facilities, inexpensive and suitable menstrual hygiene products, and a friendly atmosphere where they can manage their menstruation without embarrassment or stigma.

Furthermore, the regions covered in the sanitary products market are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, South America. Among these, Asia Pacific is expected to have a significant share in the sanitary products market during the forecast period owing to high women population in the countries such as China, India, etc. along with increasing consumer awareness regarding personal hygiene.

Global Sanitary Products Market Drivers

The market for sanitary products is expected to expand as a result of the increasing female population. The rise of the female population is fueled by higher literacy rates, girls' education, women's empowerment, and maintaining good menstrual health. Additionally, efforts to reduce the social stigma associated with menstruation have been made in various nations about providing feminine hygiene products in national healthcare programs. This has increased the utilization of sanitary products in developing and underdeveloped nations. Furthermore, several government initiatives for providing sanitary products in educational institutions also fuel the global sanitary products market during the forecast period. For instance, in 2022, England Government made a “Period Product Scheme” for the girls studying in schools and colleges. In the scheme, all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 educational organizations in England are eligible for the period product scheme. It offers free sanitary products for girls and women who require them in their place of study. This might happen, for instance, when users forgot their products, which they cannot afford, or unexpectedly got their period

Global Sanitary Products Market Trends

The sanitary products market is being driven by the development of environment-friendly products. Eco-friendly sanitary products are sustainable alternatives to commercial, mass-produced plastic sanitary pads and are made of natural fibers and materials like wood, bamboo, and hemp. For instance, “&SISTERS company” offers the eco-friendly tampons to fulfil the requirements of the consumers. The tampons are made entirely of organic cotton and don't include any plastic, hazardous chemicals, or synthetic ingredients. These eco-tampons are suitable for both period and the environment since they have a Contour FitTM shape that offers comfortable all-around expansion for optimal leak prevention and a compostable cardboard applicator. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of reusable period products also fuels the global sanitary product market during the forecast period. For instance, in 2021, Primark has introduced reusable underwear for women. This reusable underwear may be worn by menstruators without the use of other sanitary products during their period. Customers can select from two types of underwear: medium to heavy flow and light to medium flow. Therefore, all these trends are expected to fuel the global sanitary products market during the forecast period.

Global Sanitary Products Market Challenges

The plastic based sanitary pads is harmful for the environment which serve as one of the key barriers to the market growth for sanitary products. For instance, a plastic sanitary napkin takes between 500 to 800 years to decompose completely. Thousands of tons of waste made from disposable sanitary napkins are produced each month on a global basis. This particular challenge acts as a hinderance in global sanitary products market. Furthermore, increasing competition among the sanitary products companies restrain the global sanitary products market during the forecast period.

Global Sanitary Products Market Opportunities

According to the UNICEF, around 1.8 billion people menstruate each month in the world and as per the data provided by World Bank around estimated 500 million women lack access to sanitary products and facilities for menstrual hygiene management. Thus, with the large untapped market, companies have a great opportunity to cater to this remaining segment of the market. Furthermore, the increasing development in the APAC region is also providing opportunity for the manufacturers to cater in this region. Moreover, according to the data provided by a news article from “The Hindu”, around 49% of the women in India still use cloth during their menstrual cycle. Thus, still leaving a large group of females untapped and giving the manufacturers the chance to grab this opportunity and increase their market share.

Global Sanitary Products Market Company Profiles

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., The Procter & Gamble Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Essity AB, Kao Corporation, Ontex BV, Unicharm Corporation, Unilever PLC, Edgewell Personal Care Company, and First Quality Enterprises, Inc., etc. are the major market players in the global sanitary products market during the forecast period.

Global Sanitary Products Market Segmentation

The global sanitary products market is segmented into product type, type, distribution channel, and region. Based on product type, the market is segmented into pads, tampons, panty liners, menstrual cups, and period panties. Based on the type, the market is segmented into reusable and disposable. Based on the distribution channel, the market is segmented into supermarkets/hypermarkets, pharmacy & drug stores, convenience stores, online, and non-retail. The market analysis also studies regional segmentation to devise regional market segmentation.

Report Scope:

In this report, the global sanitary products market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

Sanitary Products Market, By Product Type:

• Pads
• Tampons
• Panty Liners
• Menstrual Cups
• Period Panties

Sanitary Products Market, By Type:

• Reusable
• Disposable

Sanitary Products Market, By Distribution Channel:

• Supermarkets/Hypermarkets
• Pharmacy & Drug Stores
• Convenience Stores
• Online
• Non-Retail

Sanitary Products Market, By Region:

• Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Australia
• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Spain
• Middle East & Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• South Africa
• Turkey
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the global sanitary products market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, the publisher offers customizations according to a company’s specific needs.


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