This absorbent article (1) enables an enhanced fit to the body when wearing the article while limiting reductions to wear comfort and reductions to the absorption capacity of an absorbent body therein. The absorbent article is provided with a front surface sheet (2), a back surface sheet (3), and an absorbent body (4) disposed within the front surface sheet and back surface sheet laminate. The absorbent article is further provided with a stretchable waist member (11) disposed within the laminate in a manner enabling stretching in the width direction (W). The stretchable waist member is disposed between the absorbent body and the front surface sheet in the thickness direction and is joined to the front surface sheet. A portion of the stretchable waist member overlaps with and touches the absorbent body in the thickness direction but is not joined thereto, and the portion of the stretchable waist member that does not overlap with the absorbent body in the thickness direction is joined to the back surface sheet.
