Absorbent article having a tufted topsheet

An absorbent article having a topsheet in facing relationship with an absorbent core. The topsheet has a pair of tuft region lateral boundaries. Each tuft region lateral boundary is defined by a line or a portion of a line separating a plurality of first tufts from a plurality of second tufts, first tufts and second tufts differing in either height or area density. The tuft region lateral boundaries are on opposing sides of the longitudinal centerline. The tuft region lateral boundaries extend longitudinally along transversely opposite sides of the topsheet and are spaced apart from each other by a distance gradually increasing or gradually decreasing from a minimum or maximum, respectively, at a parallel transverse axis towards longitudinally opposing ends of the tuft region lateral boundaries. The tufts have fibers integral with and extending from the fibrous nonwoven web.