Menstrual Equity: The Global Push to End the ‘Tampon Tax’

By BATV News Desk

Despite being essential to women’s health, period products such as tampons and sanitary pads continue to be heavily taxed in many countries, treated by tax codes as luxury items rather than necessities. Around the globe, advocates are increasingly calling attention to what’s become known as the “tampon tax”—a symbolic and financial burden placed disproportionately on women.

In the European Union, governments have had the freedom since 2007 to apply reduced or even zero rates of VAT (Value Added Tax) to menstrual hygiene products. Yet, many have been slow to act. According to data from the European Commission, Hungary currently imposes the highest VAT on tampons at 27%, followed by Denmark and Sweden at 25%, and Greece at 24%. These rates place menstrual products in the same tax categories as non-essential or luxury goods.

Progress, however, is underway in several EU countries. On January 1, 2025, Finland cut its VAT rate on menstrual products from 25.5% to 14%, marking a significant step toward affordability and equity. Spain, Poland, and Luxembourg have also slashed their VAT rates to between 3% and 5%, recognizing these products as vital for everyday life. Germany made a similar move in 2020, reducing its VAT on menstrual products from 17% to 7% after officially reclassifying them as essential items.

Leading the way are three EU countries that have eliminated the tampon tax altogether. Ireland’s zero VAT status predates EU-wide VAT harmonisation rules, allowing it to maintain this exemption. Cyprus followed in October 2023, applying a zero rate to a range of basic necessities, including menstrual hygiene items. Most recently, Malta joined this small group in January 2025, abolishing taxes on these essential products entirely.

Campaigners argue that taxing period products is a form of gender-based economic discrimination. “Menstrual products are not a choice,” said one European health advocate. “Taxing them as if they were luxuries denies the lived realities of millions of women and girls.”

As more nations begin to reconsider the fairness of their tax systems, the tampon tax debate has become a broader conversation about menstrual equity, access, and dignity. For many, eliminating this tax is not just about economics—it’s about recognizing menstruation as a basic, unavoidable aspect of human health that deserves equal treatment under the law.

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