Toilet paper is something that people use almost every day. Having enough toilet paper available is easy enough, however, it’s a good idea to plan out how much toilet paper to get for a certain period of time. So, below is how long a roll of toilet paper lasts, so you know how much to get at once.
On average, 18 days for men and 23 days for women. An average roll of toilet paper contains 150 sheets/squares of toilet paper, and on average, a male uses 8.1 sheets when they defecate, and an average female uses 6.3 sheets. Also, on average, a person defecates once per day.
However, there is wide variation when exactly a person takes a poop. For example, it’s common for people to not poop for 3 days and then take multiple poops in a day.
In this article, I will provide detailed info about how much toilet paper a person uses for a week, month, and year, as well as how much an average person spends on toilet paper in a year.
How Many Rolls of Toilet Paper Does an Average Person Use in a Month
Toilet paper is sold in single rolls, but it is often better to buy it in a pack. When using the bathroom, most people don’t give much thought to exactly how much toilet paper is used. So, This is how many rolls of toilet paper an average person uses in a month.
On average, males use 1.4 rolls per month, and females use 1.25 rolls per month. A roll of toilet paper lasts one male 18 days, which is 60% of a month. Whereas a roll of toilet paper lasts a female 23 days or 75% of a month.
However, there are also double rolls of toilet paper. These are thicker than regular toilet rolls. The number of sheets a double roll or a regular roll has is typically stated on the packaging. For example, it will say 150 sheets per roll or 350 sheets per roll.
Therefore, the numbers listed above are minimums based on the smallest-sized roll of toilet paper that is sold, which is also the regular size. If you get double rolls, then exactly how long it lasts can vary. And you’ll need to have your calculator handy.
The key number to keep in mind is the amount of sheets used per day, and the average number of poops per day a person takes on average.
Based on the data from the University of Massachusetts, they found that, on average, a person takes 1 poop per day. It is also found in studies than men an women use on average:
- For men: 8.1 sheets per poop
- For women: 6.3 sheets per poop
Based on these numbers, here are some very helpful tables that show how many rolls a man or a woman uses per week, month, 3 months, 6 months, and per year. So,
| Timeframe | Number of rolls used/required (1 man) |
| 1 week | 5% of a roll (roughly 1/3rd of a roll) |
| 1 month | 1.4 rolls |
| 3 months | 4.2 rolls |
| 6 months | 8.4 rolls |
| 1 year | 16.8 rolls |
| Timeframe | Number of rolls used/required (1 woman) |
| 1 week | 1/3rd of a roll (31%) |
| 1 month | 1 and ¼ rolls |
| 3 months | Just under 4 rolls |
| 6 months | 8 rolls |
| 1 year | 16 rolls |
In a year, a male will use about 1 roll more than a woman. If you want to buy enough toilet paper for a whole year then you should get an 18-pack if you’re a male. Otherwise, get a few packs to make up 16.8 rolls. Whereas, if you’re a female, you should get 16 rolls. Doing so will cover you for all the poops you will do in a year.
This can take a reasonable amount of space, and one year is a very long period of time. Therefore, a more reasonable amount of toilet paper to buy is 6 months’ worth. Which is 8 around 8 rolls.
These are somewhat rough numbers. For example, women will tend to wipe each time they go pee. But, also most people are at a job during the day. Therefore, they will take about half their daily pees at work.
How Long Will a Roll of Toilet Paper Last 4 People
There is often more than one person living in a household, and each person will use toilet paper. Therefore, this is how long a roll of toilet paper will last for 4 people and how much toilet paper to buy for 4 people.
On average, just over 4.5 days for 4 people. A roll of toilet paper will last an average person 18 days. So, for 4 people, this number is divided by 4, which gives 4.5 days. On average, a person uses 6 to 8 sheets of toilet paper per day, and an average roll of toilet paper is 150 sheets.
Therefore, in a household of 4 people, you will need 2 rolls of toilet paper per week. Or, an 8 pack of toilet rolls for a month. Below is a helpful table that shows how long typical packs of toilet paper will last for 4 people.
| Number of toilet rolls in a pack | How long it will last 4 people |
| 4 | 2 weeks |
| 8 | 1 month |
| 16 | 2 months |
| 32 | 4 months |
How Much Does a Person Spend on Toilet Paper a Year
Toilet paper is reasonably cheap but is something that an average person will use regularly. It’s interesting to know how much a person spends in total on toilet paper each year. This is how much for both males and females.
On average, a male spends $8.76, and a female spends $6.90 per year on toilet paper. Toilet paper costs $0.30 per 100 sheets, and an average male uses 8 sheets per day. An average female uses 6 sheets per day. So a male uses 2920 sheets per year, and a female uses 2299 sheets per year.
If you break these numbers down further, you can see that an average male spends $0.16 on toilet paper per week. And an average female spends $0.13 on toilet paper per week.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.