Menstrual products prices skyrocketing from inflation, tariffs
Products are always displayed on the shelf of a supermarket in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on October 29, 2024.
Dado Ruvic | Reuters
Rising inflation and ever-changing tariff policies have led to higher prices on store shelves over the past few years, tightening consumers’ budgets.
An often overlooked example: menstrual products.
The average price of menstrual products, including sanitary pads and tampons, has increased nearly 40% since 2020, from about $5.37 per unit to $7.43 per unit, according to February data from Chicago-based market research firm Circana.
Dollar sales of menstrual products rose nearly 30% during the same period, according to Circana.
But at the same time, sales of menstrual products overall — which include pads, tampons, liners and more — have seen a decline of about 6% since 2022, with a gradual decline each year, according to data from NielsenIQ.
Average unit prices of products across stores have increased, and dollar volume of consumer packaged goods has increased 2.7% year-to-date, the data analytics company said. These price increases are in line with rising inflation, with the latest consumer price index in February showing an annual increase of 2.4%.
The latest CPI data revealed that personal care product inflation in the US increased by a striking 22.1% in February compared to January 2020.
But since menstrual products are a necessity for a large portion of the population, these costs can hurt consumers.
“I think we’re at a point where consumers in general are having to choose between buying groceries for their family or buying prescriptions for their family. For some of the things we typically define as a necessity, people are finding alternatives or going without,” said Sarah Broyd, a partner at consulting firm Clarkston Consulting.
Broyd said the difference between higher prices and declining sales shows consumers are looking for alternatives out of necessity.
Menstrual products weren’t just affected by inflation either. The U.S. collected $115 million through tariffs on menstrual products containing cotton in 2025, up from just $42 million in 2020, according to government data.
USA imported According to the World Bank, by 2024 the majority of menstrual products will be sourced from Canada, China and Mexico. President Donald Trump imposed varying levels of tariffs on all three countries last year.
These additional costs are on top of the “pink tax” where some states impose a sales tax on menstrual products. According to Statista, 2025 data from Tennessee, Mississippi and Indiana highest sales tax 7% on menstrual products. Products considered “medical devices” are generally exempt from sales tax.
‘Subscription service for being a woman’
For 30-year-old Dafna Diamant, the rising price of menstrual products is noticeable at the checkout and puts a dent in her monthly expenses.
The New York resident said she has noticed that her usual pack of about 18 tampons has increased to around $25, especially in the past year.
“It’s crazy and it feels like as a woman sometimes you have to pay $50 every few months,” Diamant told CNBC. “And for some people, that hurts income.”
Diamant said he was particularly disappointed because it wasn’t a monthly expense he could do without. She frequently purchases store-brand period items from retailers such as: CVS And walgreensBut he said he was still shocked by the sticker price.
“Being a woman still feels like a subscription service,” Diamant told CNBC. “You have to pay money every month to be fertile.”
Even larger companies felt the effects. Procter & GambleAlways, the parent company of menstrual product brand Always, said in a statement in July. raise prices consumed 25% of personal care and household products due to tariff impact totaling $1 billion annually. According to the company, Always manufactures its products at facilities in Maine, Utah and Canada.
P&G declined to comment for this story.
Kimberly-ClarkThe maker of menstrual products brand Kotex said in an April earnings call that the company incurred a total of $300 million in gross costs from tariffs, more than half of which was related to tariffs imposed on China. The company did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Broyd, partner at Clarkston Consulting, said menstrual products have been hit by a “triple whammy” of rising raw material costs, inflation in energy and supply chains, and cross-border friction from tariffs.
“When you think about some of the major components of plastics, pulp and feminine care products, they are likely coming from abroad and then being subject to much higher tariffs,” Broyd said.
He added that these tariffs are on top of already alleged high taxes on other women’s products that are the subject of Congress. Pink Tariffs Labor Act It was introduced by Democrats last year to determine whether the US tariff system was “reactionary” or “gender biased”.
As prices continue to rise, Broyd said he believes companies will continue to re-evaluate their portfolios and focus on higher-margin businesses, potentially selling off their feminine care segments. Edgewell Personal Care in November sold her feminine care business To a company in Sweden for $340 million.
“You’re seeing more niche, more startup-type brands emerging in stores. … That’s the biggest growth,” Broyd said. “People who have the ability to flex and buy more organic or products they trust will spend that price increase. But other consumers who don’t have the discretionary income to do so will make the trade-off and turn to private label products or go without.”
The rise of reusables
Diamant said she and her friends are now trying menstrual underwear instead of disposable products to make their spending easier.
A growing number of people are trying reusable period products, primarily because they are environmentally friendly and cheaper.
Large manufacturers often rely on brand loyalty for their products, and this could take a hit if consumers turn to alternatives.
“If you’re in feminine care, you’ll be using Kotex for 40 years. If you’re in Depend, you’ll be using Depend for 40 years, right?” Kimberly-Clark CEO Michael Hsu said on the November earnings call. “There’s a long-term frequency. There’s a lot of spending for consumers, and so they want to have an ongoing relationship with us.”
Saalt, a reusable period products company that offers cups, discs and underwear, said it estimates that 16 percent to 20 percent of U.S. consumers have tried or used reusable menstrual products, mostly younger consumers.
“Affordability is huge,” CEO Cherie Hoeger told CNBC. “When you look at our product, you see that a cup or disc can last 10 years, and our product is only in the $30 price range. … They can save up to $1,800 on the lifespan of that cup or disc, and that’s on the low end.”
Saalt, which started operations in 2018, generated eight-figure revenue in its third year of operation, Hoeger said. The company declined to disclose details of its financials but said demand has increased year on year since its launch.
Hoeger said the most important reason for the shift to reusable products among Generation Z is pricing.
“They often have an affinity for sustainability and climate change, but that’s never their number one thing,” Hoeger said.
The rise of reusable products may be contributing to declining sales of single-use period products over the past few years. It also corresponds to recent studies indicates that tampons may contain lead or other harmful substances. The Food and Drug Administration investigated the presence of metals and determined There was no risk.
Riding on this momentum, other companies like Knix, MeLuna, Flex, and more have entered the reusable space and gained growing market share as consumers look for alternatives.
“Affordability is the bottom line; that’s the core issue,” Hoeger said. “Without the affordability of these period products, there are real economic consequences for women.”
