PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an absorbent article having elastic sections around legs where the stretching stress differs depends on the locations on an elastic sheet.SOLUTION: The absorbent article has elastic sections which are formed at least on both sides and capable of stretching in the longitudinal direction. In the elastic sections, elastic films, which are capable of stretching in at least the longitudinal direction, are layered between a first sheet layer that does not stretch and a second sheet layer, where the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are joined directly or with the elastic film therebetween via a large number of spaced joints. The elastic sections contract due to the contractile force of the elastic films, and can be stretched by an external force applied in the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal stretching stress differs in the width direction between regions of the elastic sheet because of difference in the width direction in joint area ratios which represent the total area occupied by the joints contained in a unit area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13
