An absorbent article 1 of the invention includes an absorbent body 3 and an outer cover 2. The outer cover 2 has a front section A, a crotch section C, and a rear section B and includes an outer sheet 21, an inner sheet 22, and elastic members 23. The outer cover 2 has a below-waist gather formed of a composite stretch panel in its below-waist portion D. The composite stretch panel has the outer and inner sheets 21, 22 bonded at bonds discretely arranged in the stretch direction thereof and the direction perpendicular thereto. The elastic members 23 extend not to pass the bonds without being fixed to the outer and inner sheets 21, 22 at other than their both ends. The outer and inner sheets 21, 22 form folds continuously extending over a plurality of the elastic members 23. The waist portion F of the outer cover 2 has a lower extension percentage in its laterally middle part than in the other parts on both sides of the middle part.
