Provided is an absorbent article capable of being sufficiently stretched when force is applied in the vertical direction thereof so as to separate both end sections thereof. A sanitary napkin (10) being a pad shaped absorbent article has a vertical direction (A) and a horizontal direction (B) that are mutually orthogonal both end sections (17) that are mutually facing in the vertical direction (A) and both side sections (16) that are mutually facing in the horizontal direction (B) and includes: a liquid permeable surface sheet layer (11) forming a skin facing surface (11a) a rear surface sheet layer (12) forming a clothing facing surface (12a) and a bodily fluid absorbing absorbent body (13) interposed between the surface and rear surface sheet layers. The surface sheet layer (11) the rear surface sheet layer (12) and the absorbent body (13) are each stretchable in the vertical direction (A). The stretchability of at least one sheet layer (11 12) out of the surface sheet layer (11) and the rear surface sheet layer (12) is an elastic stretchability. The sheet layers (11 12) have: a first area (29) having the absorbent body (13) extending across in the horizontal direction (B) and being for exhibiting elastic stretchability and a second area (30) having lower elastic stretchability in the vertical direction (A) than the first area (29). The absorbent body (13) has a plurality of slits (33a 33b) that extend in the horizontal direction (B) and exhibits stretchability in the vertical direction (A) as a result of the slits (33a 33b) expanding open when tensile force is applied to the article in mutually opposite vertical directions (A). At least one of the slits (33a 33b) and the first area (29) are arranged in an overlapped state.
