The invention relates to an absorbent article such as a diaper, an incontinence protector, a sanitary towel or the like, having a transverse direction, a longitudinal direction and a centre axis (II) extending in the longitudinal direction, and a direction of thickness, the article comprising a liquid-permeable cover sheet (611) arranged on an upper surface of the article, a backing sheet (612) arranged on a lower surface of the article, and an absorbent structure (600) enclosed between these sheets, the absorbent structure (600) having, in the longitudinal direction, a middle portion (601) and two opposite end portions (602) and, in the transverse direction, a central portion (603) and two opposite edge portions (604). The absorbent article is distinguished principally in that the edge portions (604) in the absorbent structure's middle portion (601), within at least part of the direction of thickness, have a first mean pore size, and in that the central portion (603) in the middle portion (601) of the absorbent structure has a second mean pore size within at least part of the direction of thickness, the first mean pore size being greater than the second mean pore size, and in that the absorbent article can be folded along the longitudinal centre axis (II) so that a part of the article on one side of the centre line (II) extending in the longitudinal direction is brought to lie against a corresponding part of the article on the other side of the centre line (II) extending in the longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the article, and the portions (604) which have the greater, first mean pore size constitute a liquid-receiving zone (610) when the article is in use.
