Throughout history, menstruating people have used various materials and methods to manage their period symptoms. Records show that in Ancient Egypt, rudimentary tampons were fashioned out of papyrus, while the Romans preferred wool. In the many years before over-the-counter pain relief medication, remedies for menstrual cramps included herbal teas, balms, and alcohol.
Thankfully, nowadays, there are more safe and hygienic period products on supermarket shelves than ever, from tampons and sanitary napkins (or pads) to reusable, eco-friendly menstrual cups and underwear. But not everybody can access these supplies; according to the World Bank, an estimated 500 million people who menstruate worldwide experience period poverty, describing (partly) a lack of access to period supplies. Affordability is a factor; in the U.S. alone, one in five teenagers has, at some point, struggled to afford much-needed sanitary products.
So how much does it cost to have a period across the U.S. and from country to country? And how affordable are period products for the average person? PlushCare researched how period supplies like tampons, sanitary pads, and painkiller medications are priced worldwide to find out.
What We Did
For each U.S. state and 107 countries, we researched the combined local cost (converted to USD) of a one-month supply of tampons, sanitary pads, and ibuprofen medication to discover how much it costs to have a period around the world. We then compared this cost to the average local person’s monthly income to find the most and least affordable countries and U.S. states to menstruate.
Key Findings
Around the world, a month’s supply of period products ranges from $1.09 in El Salvador to $34.05 in Algeria.
In New York, a month’s supply of period products costs $15.56 — more expensive than any other state.
People who menstruate in New York will also spend the most over their lifetimes on period products ($7,282.08).
Based on the percentage of the average local person’s monthly income needed on period supplies, the UK (0.12%) and the U.S. (0.20%) are among the most affordable countries to have a period…
…while Algeria (14.80%), Zambia (10.93%), and Nigeria (10.93%) are among the least affordable
.
Algeria, Jordan, and South Korea Are the Most Expensive Countries in the World for Period Supplies
Our map displays how much a month’s supply of period products costs locally in 107 countries, revealing that Algeria ($34.05), Jordan ($26.51), and South Korea ($25.40) are the most expensive countries in which to have a period.
Amidst rising sanitary pad prices, period poverty in South Korea was brought into national attention in 2017 when a charity campaign told the true story of a teenager who — unable to afford proper supplies — resorted to using a shoe insole as a pad. The U.S. is closer to the least expensive end of the scale ($8.70), but India is the cheapest country ($2.91).
New York is the Most Expensive U.S. State to Have a Period
In July 2016, New York joined the growing list of U.S. states that have repealed the tampon tax (or pink tax), the moniker given to the sales tax added to period products like tampons. Despite that, it’s still the most expensive state in the country to menstruate: a month’s supply of period products costs $15.56. Perhaps to blame is New York’s status as the second most expensive state in which to live.
Having a period in New York is more than two and a half times what it costs in Nevada ($5.96), the least expensive state and the 10th ever to eliminate the tampon tax. Nevada is also one of several states requiring schools to provide period supplies to students, and legislation makes period product ingredients more transparent for users.
The UK Ranks as the Most Affordable Country to Access Period Supplies
While some people think nothing of throwing a box of tampons or sanitary pads into their shopping cart, the local cost of period supplies can be prohibitive for many others worldwide. In Ghana, for example, period products are classed as luxury items and incur expensive taxes, leading some menstruating people to use rags to absorb blood. To discover the most and least affordable countries in which to menstruate, we calculated how much of the average person’s monthly income in each country needs to be spent on a month’s supply of period products.
The UK is the most affordable country, where period products cost just 0.12% of the average person’s monthly income. In 2021, the UK made strides to increase affordability by abolishing the tampon tax, and a year later, Scotland became the first country in the world to make period products free to access. Several of the most affordable countries in our ranking, including the U.S. (0.20%), boast some of the world’s highest average incomes per capita.
Led by Algeria (14.80%), the top five least affordable countries in the world in which to have a period are all in Africa, where inflation has seen the cost of period supplies soar. Period poverty on the continent causes one in 10 girls to miss school because they don’t have access to supplies or safe, private facilities to manage their period.
Colorado is the Most Affordable State in Which to Have a Period, While Oregon Ranks the Worst
Despite being one of the richest countries on the planet, period poverty is a genuine issue in the United States, with one poll showing that two in five people who menstruate in the U.S. have struggled to buy period products due to a lack of income. Many individuals have had to choose between buying period products or food, as has been the case for nearly half of the low-income women polled in a Missouri study. Our map reveals how each state fares regarding the affordability of having a period.
Colorado ranks as the most affordable state, where a month’s supply of tampons, sanitary pads, and ibuprofen costs 0.15% of the average person’s monthly income. The average Coloradan boasts a generous income, but the state further improved affordability in 2022 by eliminating the tampon tax. Meanwhile, Oregon (0.39%) is the least affordable state to have a period. According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, one in five women and girls of menstruation age in the state live below the Federal Poverty Line.
People Who Menstruate in New York Spend the Most Over Their Lifetimes on Period Products
On average, a person who menstruates will be on their period for seven years of their life. That equates to spending a lot of money on period supplies — but how does the total cost vary across the U.S.?
Based on the average number of years a person in the U.S. will menstruate, we’ve calculated the lifetime cost of having a period in each state. New York sees the most expensive lifetime cost of having a period ($7,282.08), while those who menstruate in Nevada ($2,789.28), Ohio ($2,882.88), and Colorado ($2,887.56) will spend the least on supplies overall.
How Much Does Having a Period Cost Around the World?
At any one time, 800 million people across the world menstruate, but how each person manages their period is unique. While one person might find it a breeze to access and afford the period products of their choice, many others resort to alternative, sometimes unsafe materials to control their flow. The good news is that many organizations worldwide are working hard to improve the lives of those experiencing period poverty.
In the U.S., charities like Helping Women Period supply much-needed period products to low-income and unhoused individuals. The Alliance for Period Supplies raises awareness of period poverty and helps lobby for changes in the law (like eliminating the tampon tax). Increasingly, states are also passing laws requiring schools to provide free period supplies to improve student attendance.
How We Did It
We measured the cost of a period for an equivalent month’s usage of period products purchased at the cheapest available price per country and U.S. state in their local currencies before converting prices to U.S. Dollars.
The equivalent cost and usage per product were defined below for our analysis:
Tampons: 20 tampons for every five-day, monthly menstrual cycle
Panty liners: 25 panty liners for every five-day, monthly menstrual cycle
Ibuprofen (pain killer): 24 (200mg) tablets per monthly menstrual cycle, according to recommended dosage vs. general length of period pain
We also considered the cost of a reusable menstrual cup as an eco-friendly period product alongside ibuprofen, assuming that a menstrual cup can generally last for five years of usage.
Prices for each product were found via Google searches for a country’s local pharmacies, drugstores, and supermarkets or by searching for the specific cost of each product in each country’s Google search engine, both in English and the country’s native language. If a local retailer could not be found, we used the list prices of international marketplaces that deliver products to a country instead, such as Amazon and LoveLuna.com.
Due to shipping costs, international retailers were often more expensive than local stores, so this needs to be considered within the context of our findings. Furthermore, some countries, such as Iceland, prohibit the online sale of medicines containing painkiller drugs such as paracetamol/acetaminophen or ibuprofen; for these countries, online retailers that deliver to those countries were used rather than local online pharmacies.
The affordability of period products was considered by measuring their equivalent monthly cost as a percentage of a country’s national net income per capita, according to the World Bank.
The lifetime cost of a period per U.S. state extrapolates monthly costs by 39 years — equivalent to the average age of a person’s period in the U.S., starting at 12 years old until the average age of menopause onset at 51 years old.
Note: Values in the United Kingdom should be defined as England, Wales, and Northern Ireland prices, as Scotland made sanitary products free to purchase in 2022.
Currency exchange rates are correct as of 30 March 2023 via Google Exchange and XE.com.
The data is correct as of May 2023.
Sources:
PlushCare is dedicated to providing you with accurate and trustworthy health information.
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