Money and Periods: Pakistan’s Tax Change and What It Means

Pakistan has proposed and presented a federal budget measure that removes the 18% sales tax on sanitary pads and other menstrual hygiene products for the 2026–27 year. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced the change in his budget speech in June 2026, and the sales tax has been set to zero for these items. The move follows legal challenges and public campaigns by activists and lawyers who argued that menstrual products should be treated as essential. Although the budget proposal is a major step, it must pass through parliament before it becomes final.

Access to safe menstrual materials has been limited: only about 12% of women and girls in Pakistan use commercially manufactured products, while many rely on cloth or reusable items. Experts have estimated that cumulative taxes, duties and levies can add roughly 40% to the retail price of a pad. Campaigners have welcomed the tax removal, but they have warned that costs from import duties, raw-material charges and distribution will still make branded pads hard to afford for the poorest households. Health and sanitation gaps in schools and communities also mean that lowering taxes alone may not fully solve period poverty.