Last updated: 22 August 2026
More than 500 million women, girls and people who menstruate lack access to the products, facilities or support needed to manage menstruation safely and with dignity, according to UNFPA. Period poverty remains a global issue affecting education, health, work and participation in everyday life.
This regularly updated guide brings together key global period poverty statistics for 2026 from recognised organisations including UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, ActionAid and UK government sources.
Global Period Poverty Statistics at a Glance
Here are some of the most important numbers:
More than 500 million women, girls and people who menstruate lack access to the necessities needed to manage menstruation safely, affordably and with dignity, according to UNFPA, 2025.
Around 1.8 billion people menstruate every month, according to UNFPA, 2025.
1.5 billion people worldwide still lack basic sanitation services, according to UN Women, 2025. Access to safe and private sanitation is an important part of managing menstruation with dignity.
Only 39% of schools globally provide menstrual health education, according to the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2024.
Just 31% of schools globally have bins for menstrual waste in girls' toilets, according to the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2024.
646 million children, around one in three, lacked basic hygiene services at school, according to the latest global school data published by WHO and UNICEF in 2024.
In the UK, 11% of women and people who menstruate said they had struggled to afford period products for themselves or a dependent during the previous year, according to an ActionAid UK and YouGov poll published in April 2026.
These figures show why period poverty is about far more than the price of a packet of pads or tampons
What Is Period Poverty?
Period poverty is the inability to afford or access the products, facilities, information and support needed to manage menstruation safely and with dignity.
It can involve difficulties accessing:
Menstrual products
Safe water
Private toilets
Facilities for changing and washing
Appropriate disposal facilities
Accurate menstrual health education
Support without shame or stigma
Period poverty is also connected to the wider issue of hygiene poverty, where people struggle to afford essential personal and household hygiene products.
Period Poverty by Region
Reliable global data remains uneven. Different countries measure period poverty in different ways, which means there is no single comparable figure for every region.
However, available research shows significant challenges across the world.
Sub-Saharan Africa
According to ActionAid UK, one in 10 girls in Africa misses school because they do not have access to menstrual products or because safe, private toilets are unavailable at school.
ActionAid also reports that 65% of school-age girls in Kenya do not have access to menstrual products.
These figures should be understood as evidence from specific sources and contexts rather than a single statistic representing the entire continent.
South Asia
South Asia faces a combination of affordability barriers, inadequate facilities and menstrual stigma.
ActionAid UK reports that 12% of India's 355 million menstruating women cannot afford menstrual products.
UNICEF's regional work also highlights the scale of menstrual health support required. In 2023, UNICEF-supported programmes in South Asia helped hundreds of thousands of women and girls access menstrual health services, supplies and gender-responsive WASH facilities.
Refugee and Humanitarian Settings
Menstrual health can become even more difficult to manage during displacement, conflict and humanitarian emergencies.
A UNHCR-supported baseline study in a refugee settlement context found that 71% of surveyed schoolgirls did not have enough menstrual products, while 65% did not have enough soap. The study was published in 2019, so these figures should be treated as context-specific evidence rather than a current global estimate.
Humanitarian settings can create additional barriers because access to products, privacy, water and information may all be disrupted.
Period Poverty and Education
The impact of period poverty on education cannot be measured by school absence alone.
Students may attend school while struggling to manage their periods because they lack products, privacy or confidence. Others may avoid particular lessons, activities or social situations.
The WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme reported in 2024 that only 39% of schools worldwide provide menstrual health education. Just 31% have bins for menstrual waste in girls' toilets.
WHO has also warned that inadequate menstrual hygiene facilities and education can affect wellbeing and equal learning opportunities. Girls may avoid school because of inadequate toilets, fear of bullying or difficulties accessing affordable menstrual products.
In the UK, ActionAid's 2026 research found that 10% of respondents had avoided or missed school, university or college because of their period during the previous 12 months.
The figures show why menstrual health should be considered part of creating an inclusive educational environment.
Period Poverty and Health
Period poverty can lead people to change how they manage menstruation when products are unaffordable.
ActionAid UK's 2026 poll found that, among people who had struggled to afford period products:
36% had worn single-use pads or tampons for longer
27% had used tissues or cotton wool instead
6% had used paper or newspaper
WHO states that poor menstrual hygiene can lead to urinary or reproductive tract infections and can affect wellbeing.
The effects are not only physical.
Stigma, embarrassment and the fear of being unable to manage a period privately can affect confidence and participation in everyday life. WHO and UNICEF have highlighted the importance of private facilities, education, products and supportive environments for protecting health, dignity and wellbeing.
The Economic Cost of Period Poverty
The economic impact of period poverty is difficult to calculate as a single global figure because research methods and available data vary between countries.
However, the consequences can include spending pressure, missed education and reduced participation in work.
In the UK, ActionAid's 2026 poll found that 64% of people who struggled to afford period products had prioritised buying food instead, while 40% had prioritised gas or electricity.
The same research found that 12% had avoided or missed working from the office because of their period during the previous 12 months.
At a wider level, UNFPA describes menstrual health as important to gender equality and sustainable development, with inadequate access affecting education, livelihoods and participation.
The economic cost, therefore, is not simply what someone spends on period products. It can also include the opportunities lost when a period becomes a barrier to education, work and daily life.
Period Poverty Statistics in the UK
Period poverty remains a reality in the UK despite policy progress and the availability of some free product schemes.
The latest ActionAid UK poll, published in April 2026, found:
11% had struggled to afford period products for themselves or a dependent in the previous year
64% of those affected had prioritised food instead
40% had prioritised gas or electricity instead
22% of those unable to afford products said they had stayed at home as a result
10% had avoided or missed school, university or college because of their period
12% had avoided or missed working from the office
UK education provision has also continued. Government management information for the 2024 to 2025 academic year shows that schools and colleges participating in England's period product scheme ordered a range of products, with 97% of ordering organisations purchasing pads.
However, access and affordability challenges have not disappeared. A 2024 Plan International UK report cited 2023 polling in which 44% of girls said they had difficulty accessing free period products at school.
Together, these figures show that providing products is important, but availability, accessibility and awareness also matter.
What These Numbers Mean
The statistics behind period poverty reveal a wider problem.
Access to menstrual products alone is not enough if someone does not have safe water, a private place to change, somewhere to dispose of products or accurate information about menstruation.
The solution needs to address access, affordability, education and stigma together.
At Bear Earth CIC, tackling these barriers is part of the wider work around menstrual health and hygiene poverty.
Our dignity kits provide practical hygiene support, while education and awareness initiatives help create more open conversations around menstruation.
You can also learn more about the areas where we operate and the communities connected with Bear Earth's work.
How You Can Help Fight Period Poverty
Period poverty affects millions of people, but practical support can make a difference.
Supporting access to menstrual products and education can help remove barriers that affect dignity, health, education and everyday participation.
Bear Earth's subscription service provides a way to support ongoing work connected to menstrual hygiene and access to essential products.
Support the Fight Against Period Poverty
A period should never prevent someone from going to school, participating in work or living with dignity. Explore Bear Earth's subscription service to support practical action against period poverty.
Share this post: