An object of the present invention is to obtain a nonwoven fabric for an absorbent article that can produce a delicate, soft and smooth feel on the skin when it is contacted with a finger. The nonwoven fabric for an absorbent article (1) has a configuration with a plurality of raised sections (4), and second hollow sections (16) having, in first bottom sections (12) of first hollow sections (11) in a plurality of furrow sections (5) provided in the spaces between adjacent raised sections (4), (4), second bottom sections (18) that are formed as depressions opening into the first bottom sections (12), the distance between the top section (4a) of any raised section (4) and the top section (4a) of a raised section (4) adjacent to that raised section (4) being 0.5 to 2 mm, and the mean fiber size of the fibers forming at least the raised sections (4) of the nonwoven fabric (1) being 10 to 30 µm.
