Key Takeaways
- Globally, only 41% of schools have facilities for menstrual hygiene.
- In India, 71% of adolescents lack knowledge on menstruation.
- Reusable pads used by 12% of women in low-income areas.
- The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days with 5 days of bleeding.
- A normal period involves loss of 30-40ml of blood.
- Ovulation occurs around day 14 of a 28-day cycle.
- 15-20% of women miss work due to severe menstrual pain annually.
- Period poverty costs the global economy $1.5 billion yearly in lost productivity.
- In the US, women lose $15,000 in wages over career due to periods.
- Approximately 800 million women and girls menstruate every day worldwide, representing about 26% of the global population.
- In low-income countries, 500 million women and girls lack access to adequate menstrual hygiene facilities.
- Globally, 1 in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss school during their period due to lack of sanitary products.
- Menstrual disorders affect 80% of women at some point in life.
- Dysmenorrhea impacts 50-90% of adolescent girls worldwide.
- Endometriosis affects 10% (190 million) of women globally.
Poor menstrual hygiene and education still drive missed school, pain, and economic losses worldwide.
Related reading
Access and Hygiene
Access and Hygiene Interpretation
Biological Aspects
Biological Aspects Interpretation
Economic Impact
Economic Impact Interpretation
More related reading
Global Prevalence
Global Prevalence Interpretation
Health Effects
Health Effects Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Period Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/period-statistics
Sophie Moreland. "Period Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/period-statistics.
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Period Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/period-statistics.
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