A 2023 survey found that nearly one in five menstruating college or university students in the U.S. has faced period poverty, meaning they have felt forced to decide between purchasing menstrual products and meeting other personal costs (paying bills, buying food, or any other mandatory expense).
Percentage of female college students in the U.S. who have felt forced to decide between menstrual products and other personal costs in 2023
Menstruating college/university students from Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Harvard, NYU, and University of Central Florida*
Method of interview
Online survey
Supplementary notes
Original question: Have you ever felt forced to decide between purchasing menstrual products and meeting other personal costs (paying bills, buying food, or any other mandatory expense)?
* The colleges varied in size, socioeconomic status, and location to capture the pervasiveness of period poverty across college campuses and the impact of the rising costs of living.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Intimina. (September 22, 2023). Percentage of female college students in the U.S. who have felt forced to decide between menstrual products and other personal costs in 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424077/us-college-students-period-poverty/
Intimina. "Percentage of female college students in the U.S. who have felt forced to decide between menstrual products and other personal costs in 2023." Chart. September 22, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424077/us-college-students-period-poverty/
Intimina. (2023). Percentage of female college students in the U.S. who have felt forced to decide between menstrual products and other personal costs in 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424077/us-college-students-period-poverty/
Intimina. "Percentage of Female College Students in The U.S. Who Have Felt Forced to Decide between Menstrual Products and Other Personal Costs in 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 Sep 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424077/us-college-students-period-poverty/
Intimina, Percentage of female college students in the U.S. who have felt forced to decide between menstrual products and other personal costs in 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424077/us-college-students-period-poverty/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Percentage of female college students in the U.S. who have felt forced to decide between menstrual products and other personal costs in 2023 [Graph], Intimina, September 22, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424077/us-college-students-period-poverty/
