Menstruation affects hundreds of millions of women and girls worldwide, yet access to safe, private facilities and reliable products is uneven—especially in low-income settings, where school and work disruptions are common. This page brings together what a typical cycle looks like, why cramps and pain occur, and how conditions such as dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, and heavy menstrual bleeding can change day-to-day life. You’ll also see how period poverty and limited menstrual leave can shape education and employment, and where policy and healthcare can make the biggest difference.
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.
Millions of women and girls still lack menstrual support, fueling missed school, lost work, and major health burdens.
Related reading
01 · Category
Access And Hygiene24 stats
01
Globally, only 41% of schools have facilities for menstrual hygiene.
02
In India, 71% of adolescents lack knowledge on menstruation.
03
Reusable pads used by 12% of women in low-income areas.
04
Only 18% of women in rural Ghana have private changing spaces.
05
Menstrual cups reduce costs by 90% over tampons lifetime.
06
88% of women in US prefer pads over tampons.
07
Period tracking apps used by 58% of women aged 18-39.
08
In Bolivia, 95% of women use cloth during periods.
09
Free pads programs reach 20% of needy girls in Scotland.
10
62% of US teachers untrained in menstrual hygiene education.
11
Menstrual cups safe for 99% users with proper hygiene.
12
Only 25% of Indian schools have separate toilets for girls.
13
Tampon use associated with 2.5 toxic shock cases per 100,000.
14
73% of girls in Philippines unaware of menstrual cups.
15
Hygiene promotion reduces infections by 40% in schools.
16
In Kenya, 92% of girls use reusable sanitary pads in programs.
17
Access to water points near toilets improves hygiene by 50%.
18
35 countries have removed tampon tax as of 2023.
19
Incinerators for pads available in 15% of Indian schools.
20
Digital health tools track cycles for 47% European women.
21
Community-led sanitation covers 30% menstrual needs in slums.
22
pH-balanced washes reduce odor by 70% for users.
23
School WASH programs reach 10 million girls annually.
24
Biodegradable pads market grows 20% yearly in Asia.
Interpretation
Access And Hygiene Interpretation
Across Access and Hygiene, the data shows a steep gap where 41% of global schools have menstrual hygiene facilities and only 18% of rural women in Ghana have private changing spaces, making proper support far from universal even though options like menstrual cups can cut lifetime costs by 90%.
02 · Category
Biological Aspects21 stats
01
The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days with 5 days of bleeding.
02
A normal period involves loss of 30-40ml of blood.
03
Ovulation occurs around day 14 of a 28-day cycle.
04
Prostaglandins cause uterine contractions leading to cramps.
05
Estrogen peaks before ovulation, progesterone after.
06
Menarche averages age 12.4 years globally.
07
Menopause occurs at average age 51 worldwide.
08
FSH and LH surge triggers ovulation.
09
Endometrium thickens 7-10mm before menstruation.
10
Cervical mucus changes to fertile type mid-cycle.
11
Basal body temperature rises 0.5°F post-ovulation.
12
Uterus contracts 3-5 times per minute during heavy flow.
13
Ovaries release one egg per cycle typically.
14
Corpus luteum produces progesterone if no pregnancy.
15
Menstrual blood pH is 7.4, alkaline unlike venous blood.
16
Cycle variability is normal up to 7 days in teens.
17
Shed endometrium is 50% blood by volume.
18
Puberty starts with adrenarche at age 6-8.
19
Hypothalamus releases GnRH every 90 minutes follicular phase.
20
Average cycle shortens by 0.8 days per decade after 25.
21
80% of blood loss in first 2 days of period.
Interpretation
Biological Aspects Interpretation
Biologically, a typical 28 day menstrual cycle with about 5 days of bleeding centers around ovulation around day 14, where shifting estrogen and progesterone levels along with prostaglandin driven contractions help explain why cramps and timing are so consistent.
03 · Category
Economic Impact22 stats
01
15-20% of women miss work due to severe menstrual pain annually.
02
Period poverty costs the global economy $1.5 billion yearly in lost productivity.
03
In the US, women lose $15,000in wages over career due to periods.
04
Globally, menstrual leave policies could boost productivity by 10%.
05
India spends $1.2 billion annually on disposable pads imports.
06
Absenteeism from periods costs UK employers £8.6 billion yearly.
07
Women spend 12% of disposable income on menstrual products yearly.
08
In developing countries, lack of pads costs 20% school productivity loss.
09
Global market for menstrual products is $40 billion annually.
10
Period-related sick days cost US businesses $200 million per year.
11
Women in poverty spend 10% income on tampons equivalent to diapers.
12
Menstrual product taxes generate $1 billion revenue in US states yearly.
13
Lack of period education costs $500 million in health services globally.
14
In Australia, period pain absenteeism equals 3 days per woman yearly.
15
Global femtech market for period tracking is $1 billion by 2025.
16
Women lose 45 missed work hours per year due to periods.
17
Sanitary pad market in India grows at 15% CAGR, $1.5 billion.
18
Period poverty leads to $130 billion global GDP loss.
19
In Japan, menstrual leave costs companies 0.5% productivity.
20
US women spend $3,552lifetime on menstrual products.
21
School dropouts from periods cost $20 billion in education losses.
22
Corporate wellness for periods saves 15% healthcare costs.
More related reading
04 · Category
Global Prevalence26 stats
01
Approximately 800 million women and girls menstruate every day worldwide, representing about 26% of the global population.
02
In low-income countries, 500 million women and girls lack access to adequate menstrual hygiene facilities.
03
Globally, 1 in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss school during their period due to lack of sanitary products.
04
About 45% of girls in Iran reported missing school during menstruation.
05
In India, 23% of girls drop out of school due to menstrual management issues.
06
Worldwide, 340 million girls do not attend school during menstruation.
07
In Bangladesh, 42% of girls miss 3-4 days of school per month due to periods.
08
Globally, menstruation affects 1.8 billion people monthly.
09
In the United States, 86% of women have experienced period poverty at some point.
10
In Kenya, 65% of girls report missing school during their period.
11
Globally, 1 in 3 adolescent girls have no access to sanitary pads.
12
In Nepal, 50% of girls miss school for 4-5 days monthly due to menstruation.
13
Worldwide, period poverty affects 500 million women lacking basic products.
14
In Uganda, 1 in 5 girls miss up to 5 days of school per month during periods.
15
Globally, 800 million lack facilities for menstrual hygiene management.
16
In Latin America, 1 in 4 women cannot afford menstrual products.
17
Worldwide, girls lose up to 20% of school time due to menstruation.
18
In Pakistan, 53% of girls stay home during menstruation.
19
Globally, 2.3 billion women need menstrual products but 500 million can't afford them.
20
In Ethiopia, 68% of girls have never used sanitary pads.
21
Menstruation causes 10% of school absenteeism for girls globally.
22
In South Africa, 30% of girls miss 1-3 days of school per period.
23
Worldwide, 1.2 billion women of reproductive age need menstrual services.
24
In Tanzania, 17% of girls miss more than 4 school days monthly.
25
Globally, 45% of schools lack basic sanitation for girls' periods.
26
In Vietnam, 20% of girls drop out post-puberty due to periods.
05 · Category
Health Effects22 stats
01
Menstrual disorders affect 80% of women at some point in life.
02
Dysmenorrhea impacts 50-90% of adolescent girls worldwide.
03
Endometriosis affects 10% (190 million) of women globally.
04
Heavy menstrual bleeding affects 27% of women aged 18-50.
05
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) occurs in 20-40% of women.
06
Anemia from heavy periods affects 30% of women in developing countries.
07
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) disrupts periods in 8-13% of women.
08
Iron deficiency due to menstruation causes 50% of anemia cases in women.
09
75% of women experience painful periods (dysmenorrhea).
10
Menorrhagia leads to hysterectomy in 30% of severe cases.
11
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects 3-8% of women.
12
Uterine fibroids cause abnormal bleeding in 70-80% of cases.
13
20% of women with PCOS experience infertility due to irregular periods.
14
Menstrual migraines affect 60% of women with migraine history.
15
Heavy periods increase endometrial cancer risk by 2-3 times if untreated.
16
90% of adolescents experience primary dysmenorrhea.
17
Blood loss in heavy periods averages 80ml per cycle vs 30ml normal.
18
PMS symptoms disrupt daily life for 5-8% severely.
19
Endometriosis reduces fertility by 30-50% in affected women.
20
40% of women with fibroids have heavy menstrual bleeding.
21
Irregular periods increase cardiovascular risk by 25%.
22
Adenomyosis causes severe pain in 80% of cases during periods.
Interpretation
Health Effects Interpretation
Under the Health Effects category, menstrual and related conditions are widespread with up to 80% of women affected at some point in life, and serious problems like heavy menstrual bleeding and anemia from heavy periods hit 27% and 30% respectively in key populations.
report visual · Comparison
Period Statistics statistics snapshot
Selected headline statistics from verified sources for a stable visual baseline.
Menstrual cups reduce costs by 90% over tampons lifetime.90%
88% of women in US prefer pads over tampons.88%
In India, 71% of adolescents lack knowledge on menstruation.71%
Globally, only 41% of schools have facilities for menstrual hygiene.41%
Only 18% of women in rural Ghana have private changing spaces.18%
Reusable pads used by 12% of women in low-income areas.12%
Reference
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.
APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Period Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/period-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Period Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/period-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Period Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/period-statistics.
Sources & references
51 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level