Absorbent article

An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable outer material, a liquid-impermeable antileakage material and a liquid-retentive absorbent element interposed therebetween, and formed in a substantially vertically elongated shape having a longitudinal dimension, wherein the absorbent element comprises a diffusing absorbent sheet having a front surface and a rear surface, and an absorbent retentive sheet positioned between said rear surface of said diffusing absorbent sheet and said liquid-impermeable antileakage material, and wherein:

• (a) the diffusing absorbent sheet is at least one sheet having a hydrophilicity, said hydrophilicity defined as a cosine of a contact angle between a liquid and a solid surface angle, of 0.5 and 1 and a Klemm absorption velocity in a direction along said longitudinal dimension of at least 40 mm/minute;
• and
• (b) the absorbent retentive sheet is at least one sheet comprising an aggregate of fibers having a capillary osmotic pressure of 4,000 to 15,000 dyne/cm.sup.2 and containing 10 to 100% by weight, based on the fiber aggregate, of a highly water-absorbent polymer having a physiological saline absorption of 40 to 70 grams physiological saline per gram polymer and a physiological saline absorption velocity of at least 2 ml/0.3 grams polymer.minute.