Provided is a disposable diaper that readily deforms to the intended shape of an absorbent body, and that can prevent the absorbent body from losing shape during use. The absorbent body is provided with a left and right pair of fold-inducing bands (8) that extend forward and backward from the crotch area center, the distance in the width direction between the left and right pair of fold-inducing bands being greater at the front edge and the back edge of the fold-inducing bands than in the crotch area center. The front edges and the back edges of the fold-inducing bands are positioned farther to the outside in the width direction than are the widthwise inside positions of joined areas (9) of a leak barrier and a top sheet. The fold-inducing bands include hydrophilic fibers and a highly absorbent polymer, but have lower basis weight and lower highly absorbent polymer content as compared with other regions of the absorbent body. Compression grooves (10) are provided within the fold-inducing bands, the compression grooves having higher density as compared with other regions of the absorbent body.
