FOI reference: FOI-2024-2040
You asked
I would like some information on the number of sanitary products sold in the UK, after the abolishment of the tampon tax in 2021.
We said
Thank you for your request.
Unfortunately we do not collect data on specific products sold. However, the ONS ProdCom survey measures sales by UK manufacturers "at the factory gate" which shows sales of sanitary products (towels, tampons and similar products made of paper pulp, paper or cellulose wadding) falling from £16.8m in 2020 to £13.4m in 2021. This increased to £16.4m in 2022 as the manufacturing sector recovered.
It is important to note that the data published by Prodcom is not retail sales and does not reflect sales on the high street. It is primarily an indicator of business to business trade, and includes both exports and domestic sales.
If you have any interest in the prices paid for period products, the following previously answered FOI may also help: Price of period products in the UK.