Representative photograph of menstrual pads. Photo: Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition / Unsplash.
The share of rural Indian households buying period products rose from 28% in the year ending June 2022 to nearly 42% in the year ending June 2026, according to Worldpanel by Numerator figures reported by The Times of India. In urban India, the reported share moved from 61% to a little over 65% over the same period.
What the numbers measure
These percentages describe the share of households that bought products in the tracked category during each 12-month period. They do not count individual users or show how often any one person used a product. The rural buying share remained below the urban share in the latest reported year, despite the larger increase.
What remains unknown
The figures do not establish who used the products, whether households could buy them consistently, or whether menstrual health improved. The public report does not provide the sample size or calculation method for these particular estimates. The trend is therefore best read as reported household shopping data, not a measure of access or health outcomes.
