Content uploaded by Vladimira Kantorova
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Vladimira Kantorova on Sep 28, 2020
Content may be subject to copyright.
World
Family
Planning
2020
Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
e Department of Economic and Social Aairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between
global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. e Department
works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic,
social and environmental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations draw to
review common problems and take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotiations of Member
States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging
global challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy
frameworks developed in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level
and, through technical assistance, helps build national capacities.
e Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Aairs provides the international
community with timely and accessible population data and analysis of population trends and development
outcomes for all countries and areas of the world. To this end, the Division undertakes regular studies of
population size and characteristics and of all three components of population change (fertility, mortality
and migration). Founded in 1946, the Population Division provides substantive support on population and
development issues to the United Nations General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the
Commission on Population and Development. e Population Division also leads or participates in various
interagency coordination mechanisms of the United Nations system. It also contributes to strengthening the
capacity of Member States to monitor population trends and to address current and emerging population
issues.
Suggested citation
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division (2020). Wor ld
Family Planning 2020 Highlights: Accelerating action to ensure universal access to family planning
(ST/ESA/SER.A/450).
is report is available in electronic format on the Division’s website at www.unpopulation.org. For further
information about this report, please contact the Oce of the Director, Population Division, Department of
Economic and Social Aairs, United Nations, New York, 10017, USA, by Fax: 1 212 963 2147 or by email at
population@un.org.
Copyright information
Front cover: “Woman visits a clinic” by Rama George-Alleyne/World Bank, 2016 (www.ickr.com/photos/
worldbank/34352563893/).
Back cover: “Changing women’s lives” by Lindsay Mgbor/UK Department for International Development,
2012 (www.ickr.com/photos/dd/7496380130/).
United Nations Publication
Sales No.: E.20.XIII.2
ISBN: 978-92-1-148348-2
eISBN: 978-92-1- 005200-9
Copyright © United Nations, 2020.
Figures and tables in this publication can be reproduced without prior permission, made available under a
Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0 IGO), http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
ST/ESA/SER.A/450
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Population Division
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
Accelerating action to ensure
universal access to family planning
United Nations
New York, 2020
Acknowledgement
is work was supported, in part, by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Making Family
Planning Count (Grant No. OPP1183453).
is report was prepared by Vladimíra Kantorová, Joseph Molitoris and Philipp Ueng with inputs from
Aisha Dasgupta. e authors wish to thank Jorge Bravo, Bela Hovy, Karoline Schmid, Mark Wheldon, John
Wilmoth and Guangyu Zhang for their inputs in reviewing the dra.
anks also to Bintou Papoute Ouedraogo and Neena Koshy for their assistance in editing and desktop
publishing.
Contents
Executive summary .......................................................................................................1
Introduction ......................................................................................................................3
Trends and prospects in contraceptive use and needs .................................... 5
Assessing progress made in meeting the need for family planning ......... 15
Family planning in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals . 23
Policy implications and recommendations ........................................................ 27
References ....................................................................................................................... 28
Annex table .................................................................................................................... 32
Notes on regions, development groups, countries or areas
In this report, data for countries and areas are oen aggregated in six continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe,
Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern America, and Oceania. Further information on continental
regions is available from https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/. Countries and areas have also
been grouped into geographic regions based on the classication being used to track progress towards the
Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (see: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/regional-
groups/).
e designation of “more developed” and “less developed”, or “developed” and “developing”, is intended for
statistical purposes and does not express a judgment about the stage in the development process reached
by a particular country or area. More developed regions comprise all countries and areas of Europe and
Northern America, plus Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Less developed regions comprise all countries
and areas of Africa, Asia (excluding Japan), Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania (excluding
Australia and New Zealand).
e group of least developed countries (LDCs) includes 47 countries, located in sub-Saharan Africa (32),
Northern Africa and Western Asia (2), Central and Southern Asia (4), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (4),
Latin America and the Caribbean (1), and Oceania (4). Further information is available at http://unohrlls.
org/about-ldcs/.
e group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) includes 32 countries or territories, located in
sub-Saharan Africa (16), Northern Africa and Western Asia (2), Central and Southern Asia (8), Eastern
and South-Eastern Asia (2), Latin America and the Caribbean (2), and Europe and Northern America (2).
Further information is available at http://unohrlls.org/about-lldcs/.
e group of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) includes 58 countries or territories, located in the
Caribbean (29), the Pacic (20), and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea
(AIMS) (9). Further information is available at http://unohrlls.org/about-sids/.
e classication of countries and areas by income level is based on gross national income (GNI) per capita
as reported by the World Bank (June 2018). ese income groups are not available for all countries and
areas.
1
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Executive summary
Expanding access to contraception is an essential component of achieving universal access to sexual and
reproductive health-care services, as called for in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.1 is
Highlights report examines global and regional progress in meeting the growing demand for family planning.
Globally, many women and couples want to postpone or avoid pregnancy. In 2020, among 1.9 billion women
of reproductive age (15-49 years), 1.1 billion women are considered to have a need for family planning,
meaning that they desire to limit or delay childbearing. Of these women, 851 million are using a modern
method of contraception and 85 million are using a traditional method. An additional 172 million women
are using no method at all, despite their desire to avoid pregnancy, and thus are considered to have an unmet
need for family planning.
More women or their partners are using contraceptive methods to avoid unintended pregnancies today
than in the past. Between 2000 and 2020, the contraceptive prevalence rate (percentage of women aged
15-49 who use any contraceptive method) increased from 47.7 to 49.0 per cent. Whereas contraceptive use
is currently lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, at 27.8 per cent, this level is projected to increase over the next
decade to 32.9 per cent. Most women who use contraception rely on modern methods, but the specic
contraceptive methods used vary by region.
Still, nearly 1 in 10 women of reproductive age worldwide have an unmet need for family planning: they want
to avoid or postpone pregnancy but are not using any form of contraception. While globally the proportion
of women of reproductive age who have an unmet need for family planning remained around 9 per cent in
the past two decades, the absolute number of women with an unmet need for family planning increased by
20 million since 2000 due to growth in the number of women of reproductive age. Over the next decade,
despite expected declines in the percentage of women with an unmet need for family planning, sub-Saharan
Africa is projected to have an increase in the absolute number of women with an unmet need for family
planning as a result of the continued increase in the size of the population of women of reproductive age.
Between 2000 and 2020, the number of women using modern contraceptive methods grew by 188
million worldwide. is increase was driven in almost equal parts by growth in the number of women in
the reproductive age range and by a rise in the percentage of such women who use modern methods of
contraception. From 2020 to 2030, sub-Saharan Africa is expected to experience the largest increase among
regions in the number of users of modern contraceptive methods, which could grow by 39 million, or about
60 per cent of its level in 2020. Like the global trend over the past two decades, the increasing number of
women using modern contraceptive methods in sub-Saharan over the next decade will likely be driven both
by a continued rise in the number of women of reproductive age and by growth in the percentage of women
aged 15-49 years who use modern contraceptives.
Adolescents continue to be a vulnerable group, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where 1 in 10 women aged
15 to19 years gave birth in 2020 and one in ve aged 15-19 years were married or in a union. Adolescents,
in particular, have a substantial unmet need for sexual and reproductive health care. While the number of
women aged 15-19 years with an unmet need for family planning has decreased or remained constant in
most regions of the world since 2000, it has increased by more than half in sub-Saharan Africa over the same
period. Between 2020 and 2030, the number of young women with an unmet need for family planning is
projected to decrease or remain constant in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa.
e proportion of women of reproductive age who have their need for family planning satised by modern
contraceptive methods (SDG indicator 3.7.1) has increased gradually in recent decades, rising from 73.6 per
cent in 2000 to 76.8 per cent in 2020. However, this change has been uneven, as many women who want to
avoid pregnancy continue not to use a modern method of contraception. Relatively rapid increases in the
1 A/RES/70/1
2World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
use of modern contraceptives have occurred in some regions, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America
and the Caribbean, Central and Southern Asia, and Western Asia and Northern Africa. Nevertheless, only
half of all women who wanted to avoid a pregnancy in 2020 were using a modern contraceptive method in
sub-Saharan Africa (55.5 per cent) and in Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand (52.1 per cent).
Universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including family planning, information
and education as called for in the 2030 Agenda, will enable more women with a need for family planning
to make an informed choice about a method of contraception that is acceptable and appropriate in their
circumstances. According to projections, the largest increases in the use of modern contraceptive methods
are expected in countries with low levels of use at present. Provided that the right policies are in place and
that sucient resources are available, by 2030 around 80 per cent of women worldwide who have a need for
family planning will be using a modern contraceptive method. Accelerated progress in the countries with
the largest gaps in meeting family planning needs would also help to reduce global inequality in access to
reproductive health-care services, including for family planning.
Achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services not only requires, but also sustains
and advances, progress towards achieving other targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For
example, to achieve a further increase in the proportion of demand for family planning that is satised
by modern methods, it will be critical to ensure that all women of reproductive age can make informed
decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care (SDG indicator 5.6.1).
At the same time, progress towards universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services is
expected to facilitate the achievement of other targets of the 2030 Agenda. For example, increasing the
proportion of demand satised by modern contraceptive methods will help prevent unintended and high-
risk pregnancies, thereby lowering the risks of maternal mortality (SDG indicator 3.1.1) and under-ve
mortality (SDG indicator 3.2.1). Similarly, if increased use of modern contraceptives reduces the risk of
pregnancy and childbearing at young ages, it will facilitate educational attainment for women (SDG indicator
4.3.1) and may also contribute to reducing the percentage of women and children living in poverty (SDG
indicator 1.2.1).
Despite considerable global progress in meeting the need for family planning, there remain signicant
international inequalities in access to modern contraceptive methods. Global advance in the next decade
is contingent on the progress to be made in countries where the use of modern contraceptive methods is
still low among women who want to avoid pregnancy. In these countries, located mostly in sub-Saharan
Africa but also in Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand, and in Northern Africa and Western
Asia, the number of women of reproductive age who want to avoid pregnancy will continue to grow rapidly.
Future population growth will pose challenges to countries that seek to expand reproductive health-care
services in order to keep pace with these growing needs. Meeting the increasing demand for family planning
will require a renewed commitment and decisive action by governments across the world to make family
planning information, methods and services available and accessible to all.
3
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Introduction
Expanding access to contraception is an essential component for achieving universal access to reproductive
health-care services, as called for in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. e 2030 Agenda
rearms the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing
and timing of their children, a commitment made earlier in the Programme of Action of the International
Conference on Population and Development, adopted in Cairo, Egypt, in 1994.
Goal 3 of the 2030 Agenda, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages, includes
a target specically related to reproductive health and family planning. Target 3.7 aims to ensure universal
access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and
education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes. Two
indicators were selected for the global monitoring of progress towards achieving target 3.7 by 2030: (1)
the proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning
satised by modern methods of contraception (SDG indicator 3.7.1), and (2) the adolescent birth rate (10-
14 and 15-19 years) per 1,000 women in the respective age group (SDG indicator 3.7.2). e Population
Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs is the custodian agency for
the global monitoring of these two indicators. e Division compiles all available national data for these
indicators, prepares regional and global aggregates and analyses levels and trends. e Division also works
with countries to strengthen data collection and reporting and to increase compliance with internationally
agreed standards for calculating these indicators.
Access to a complete range of contraceptive methods oers many benets to women, couples and children.
Contraceptives enable women and couples to exercise their right to choose the timing and number of
births, to avoid pregnancies that may pose a greater risk to women and children, to reduce unintended
pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and to improve the socioeconomic opportunities of women and their
families. Specic methods, including male and female condoms, also play a signicant role in preventing the
transmission of sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV, between partners. Within the 2030 Agenda,
progress towards achieving target 3.7 can also support the achievement of other targets of the 2030 Agenda,
such as reducing maternal mortality (target 3.1), ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under
5 years of age (target 3.2), and eliminating gender disparities in education and ensuring equal access to all
levels of education (target 4.5).
is Highlights report presents estimates of contraceptive use and needs from 2000 to 2020 with projections
to 2030, for 196 countries or areas of the world as well as regional and global trends. It describes the impact
of population growth and changes in the demand for family planning on the projected number of women
who will be contraceptive users or will have an unmet need for family planning over the next decade. e
report also discusses global progress in meeting the demand for family planning as called for in the 2030
Agenda and explores how contraceptive use relates to progress in achieving other targets of the 2030 Agenda.
e report presents estimates of the prevalence of contraceptive use and of unmet need for family planning
among adolescents aged 15-19 years. Particular population groups (e.g., young women, older women,
indigenous women and women with disabilities, rural women, migrant women, minority women) are
likely to face additional barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health-care services due to underlying
structural, institutional, economic or social causes of deprivation, disadvantage or discrimination. Due to
a lack of data, however, the family planning needs of these groups have not been analyzed in this report.
Nevertheless, relevant ndings from other studies, where available, are presented.
4World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Box 1. Denitions, data and methods
is Highlights report focuses on the following three family planning indicators for women aged 15-49
years.
Contraceptive prevalence rate: the percentage of women who are currently using any form of
contraception. Data are presented separately for modern and traditional methods. Modern contraceptive
methods include female and male sterilization, intra-uterine devices (IUD), implants, injectables, oral
contraceptive pills, male and female condoms, vaginal barrier methods (including the diaphragm,
cervical cap, and spermicidal foam, jelly, cream and sponge), lactational amenorrhea method (LAM),
emergency contraception, and other modern methods (such as the contraceptive patch or vaginal ring).
Traditional methods include, among others, rhythm methods (e.g. fertility awareness-based methods or
periodic abstinence) and withdrawal. According to typical use patterns, which accounts for dierences
in improper implementation of specic methods, traditional methods are generally less eective at
preventing pregnancy than modern methods (Polis and others, 2016).
Unmet need for family planning: the percentage of women who are fecund and sexually active, who
wish to stop or delay childbearing, but who are not using any form of contraception. A woman is also
considered to have an unmet need if she was pregnant at the time of data collection, but reported that
the pregnancy was unwanted or mistimed, or if a woman was postpartum amenorrhoeic, not using
family planning and her most recent birth was unwanted or mistimed.
Demand for family planning satised by modern contraceptive methods (SDG indicator 3.7.1): the
percentage of women who are using modern contraceptive methods among women who have a demand
for family planning (i.e. the total number of women who are using any form of contraception or have an
unmet need for family planning).
Data for these indicators are compiled in World Contraceptive Use 2020 (United Nations, 2020a), which
includes 1,317 nationally representative survey-based observations from 196 countries or areas for the
period 1950 to 2019. e data originate from a variety of national and international survey programmes.
Comparable survey-based estimates are not available for all years for all countries or areas. erefore,
estimates and projections of the above family planning indicators were calculated for all years from 1990
to 2030 and for 185 countries or areas with a total population of at least 90,000 and with at least one survey
estimate of contraceptive use (United Nations, 2020b). e methods of the hierarchical Bayesian model
used to generate these estimates are presented in Alema and others (2013), and antorová and others
(2020). Unless otherwise stated, the estimates presented will refer to the posterior median estimates and
refer to women of reproductive age (15-49 years). Estimates of use for specic contraceptive methods
are available in Contraceptive Use by Method 2019 (United Nations, 2019b).
Special attention is also given to the contraceptive use and needs of adolescent girls and women aged
15-19 years. Regional and global estimates of adolescent birth rates (SDG indicator 3.7.2) are available
in the 2019 revision of the World Population Prospects (United Nations, 2019a). Regional and global
estimates of the proportion of women aged 15-19 who are married or in a union are available in the
2020 revision of the Estimates and Projections of the Number of Women who are Married or in a Union
(United Nations, 2020c).
To assess the past and future eects of population growth on the number of contraceptive users and the
proportion of women whose demand is satised by modern methods, a demographic decomposition
method (Das Gupta, 1993) is used. Data on the number of women aged 15-49 years are obtained from
the 2019 revision of World Population Prospects (United Nations, 2019a).
5
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Trends and prospects in contraceptive use and needs
More women and couples want to avoid pregnancy
e number of women with a demand for family planning has increased markedly over the past two decades,
from 900 million in 2000 to nearly 1.1 billion in 2020 (gure 1). An additional 100 million women are
projected to have a demand for family planning by 2030. Although the proportion of women of reproductive
age with a demand for family planning has remained largely constant at approximately 58 per cent, modern
contraceptive users have accounted for a growing share of the demand for family planning, a trend which
is projected to continue. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of women using a modern contraceptive
method increased from 663 million to 851 million. An additional 70 million women are projected to be
added by 2030. e number of users of traditional methods remains around 85 million. Simultaneously,
population growth is projected to add an additional ve million women with an unmet need for family
planning between 2020 and 2030, despite a projected decline in the proportion of women with unmet need.
Figure 1.
Estimates and projections of the proportion and number of women aged 15-49 years who use modern or
traditional contraceptive methods or who have an unmet need for family planning, the world, 1990-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning
Indicators 2020.
6World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Contraceptive use is increasing in every region and unmet need is declining
e proportion of women of reproductive age who use some method of contraception has increased in all
regions since 2000, especially in regions where only a small proportion of women used contraception in
the past (gure 2). Signicant increases in the use of contraception have occurred in Latin America and
the Caribbean, Central and Southern Asia, Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand, sub-Saharan
Africa, and Northern Africa and Western Asia. Between now and 2030, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to
experience the largest increase in contraceptive use among major regions of the world.
e proportion of women with an unmet need for family planning has declined in most regions since 2000,
although less so in regions where rates of contraceptive use were high already. Central and Southern Asia
has seen the largest decline in the number of women with unmet need since 2000. Signicant declines have
also occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania excluding Australia
and New Zealand. e latter two regions continue to have the highest proportions of women with an unmet
need for family planning in the world; moreover, despite projected declines in the coming decade, they are
expected to continue to do so by 2030.
Figure 2.
Estimates and projections of the percentage of women aged 15-49 years who use contraception or who have
an unmet need for family planning, by region, 2000-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning
Indicators 2020.
Note: The solid lines refer to the percentage of women of reproductive age currently using any form of contraception (modern or traditional). The
dashed lines refer to the percentage of women of reproductive age with an unmet need for family planning.
7
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
e specic contraceptive methods in use vary across regions
In all regions of the world, the majority of women who use contraception are using modern methods. In
2020, the percentage of contraceptive users who used modern methods was near or above 90 per cent,
except in Northern Africa and Western Asia, and in Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand.
e specic types of modern methods used vary across regions (gure 3). Short-acting contraceptives, such
as the oral contraceptive pill or condoms, are commonly used methods in most regions. e pill, for instance,
is the most popular method in Australia and New Zealand, Europe and Northern America, Northern Africa
and Western Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. Male condoms are popular in most regions of
the world, but their use is most extensive in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and in Europe and Northern
America. Injectables, on the other hand, are not widely used globally but are the most commonly used
method in sub-Saharan Africa and in Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand.
Permanent and long-acting reversible methods account for a substantial share of contraceptive use in some
regions. IUDs are the most common method in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and are also widely used
in Northern Africa and Western Asia. Female sterilization is used extensively in Central and Southern Asia,
Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand, and Latin America and the Caribbean, and to a lesser extent
in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and Europe and Northern America. Male sterilization, in contrast, is
seldom used except in Australia and New Zealand.
Figure 3.
Distributions of contraceptive use by method, by region, 2019
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2019). Contraceptive Use by Method 2019.
Note: “Other” includes less used modern methods, such as lactational amenorrhea method (LAM), vaginal barrier methods, emergency
contraception, patches and vaginal rings as well as traditional methods, including douching, prolonged abstinence, gris-gris, incantation,
medicinal plants, abdominal massage and other local methods.
8World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
e number of contraceptive users is projected to continue to grow globally, with
varying regional trajectories
Changes in the number of contraceptive users are related to changes in the number of women of reproductive
age. All regions of the world are projected to see increases in the number of contraceptive users except
for Europe and Northern America and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, where low population growth is
projected to lead to a reduction in the number of women of reproductive age (table 1). Sub-Saharan Africa
is projected to add 86 million women of reproductive age and 40 million contraceptive users, between
2020 and 2030. By contrast, regions that are projected to experience a decreasing number of women of
reproductive age are projected to have a smaller number of contraceptive users. For instance, Eastern and
South-Eastern Asia is projected to have 30 million fewer women of reproductive age and 20 million fewer
contraceptive users in 2030 compared to 2020.
In 2020, there are 20 million more women with unmet need for family planning worldwide than there were
in 2000. By 2030, this gure is projected to increase by another ve million women. Globally, the absolute
growth in the number of women with unmet need for family planning is projected to be almost exclusively
driven by increases in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on current projections, 30 per cent of the world’s women
with unmet need for family planning will live in sub-Saharan Africa in 2030 (table 1).
Table 1.
Numbers of women aged 15-49 years, modern contraceptive users and women with an unmet need for family
planning, by region, 2000-2030
Number of women aged 15-49
years (in thousands)
Number of women using
modern contraception
(in thousands)
Number of women with an
unmet need
for family planning
(in thousands)
SDG Region 2000 2020 2030 2000 2020 2030 2000 2020 2030
Australia and New Zealand 5,821 7,020 7,482 3,282 4,012 4,327 426 537 538
Central and Southern Asia 372,756 524,989 573,286 119,564 194,074 227,022 47,007 48,923 47,817
Eastern and South-Eastern
Asia 558,922 569,231 539,689 309,450 320,686 302,290 33,349 33,529 30,314
Latin America and the
Caribbean 138,903 173,228 178,933 63,469 95,570 102,641 12,839 13,763 13,551
Europe and Northern
America 262,559 248,090 240,860 126,114 133,205 133,311 17,880 15,689 14,663
Oceania excluding Australia
and New Zealand 2,120 3,098 3,669 334 679 887 356 493 534
Sub-Saharan Africa 148,176 262,960 348,832 20,333 64,864 105,359 29,041 43,742 53,172
Western Asia and Northern
Africa 89,412 131,869 150,585 20,451 37,928 45,784 9,801 13,201 13,597
World 1,578,667 1,920,485 2,043,334 663,169 851,151 922,107 151,883 171,904 177,194
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019; United
Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning Indicators 2020.
9
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Increasing numbers of women of reproductive age lead to more contraceptive
users
Population growth will have implications for the growth in the number of contraceptive users (gure 4). Of
the 188 million users of modern contraceptive methods who were added globally between 2000 and 2020,
the rise in contraceptive prevalence accounted for 98 million additional users. e remaining 90 million
additional users are the result of growth in the population of women aged 15-49 years. Similarly, between
2020 and 2030, projected increases in modern contraceptive prevalence rates as well as continued population
growth are expected to lead to further increases in the number of modern contraceptive users.
Figure 4.
Increase in the number of women aged 15-49 years who use modern contraceptives, with components
attributable to population growth or to an increased prevalence of modern contraceptive use, the world,
2000-2020 and 2020-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019; United
Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning Indicators 2020.
Regional dierences in population growth are likewise projected to have disparate eects on the growth of
the number of contraceptive users between 2020 and 2030 (gure 5). In sub-Saharan Africa, population
growth, the primary driver of the increase in users of modern contraception, is projected to add 39 million
new users. In Central and Southern Asia, population growth is expected to account for nearly half of the total
increase of 32 million users. Conversely, the projected decline in the female population aged 15-49 years in
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia is expected to reduce the number of users of modern contraception by 21
million women, which will more than oset the increase in the number of users due to higher contraceptive
prevalence.
10 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Figure 5.
Change in the number of women aged 15-49 years who use modern contraceptives, with components
attributable to changing population size or to changes in the prevalence of modern contraceptive use, by
region, 2020-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019; United
Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning Indicators 2020.
Millions of adolescent girls are at risk of childbearing
Pregnancy and childbirth in adolescence can have long-lasting impact on the social and economic well-being
and are among the leading causes of death among women aged 15-19 years (World Health Organization,
2018). Compared to other age groups, women aged 15-19 years have experienced the largest relative decrease
in birth rates since 1990. Globally, birth rates among women aged 15-19 declined from 64.8 births per 1,000
women during 1990-1995 to 42.5 per 1,000 women during 2015-2020 (gure 6). Adolescent birth rates
have declined in all regions of the world during this period, with the largest absolute decreases occurring
in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite these signicant reductions, the adolescent birth rate in sub-Saharan Africa
is more than twice as high as in other world regions. Some countries of Central and Southern Asia and
Latin America and the Caribbean also continue to have relatively high levels of adolescent fertility, despite
experiencing substantial declines in total fertility. Fertility rates among adolescent women are projected to
continue to decline, both globally and regionally. Data on the fertility of girls younger than age 15 are not
widely collected or published, in part because births at these ages are uncommon in many countries. e
limited data available suggests that fertility rates in this age group are relatively high in parts of sub-Saharan
Africa and in Bangladesh, exceeding 10 births per 1,000 girls aged 10 to14 years (United Nations, 2020d).
11
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Figure 6.
Estimates and projections of the reduction in the birth rate for adolescent women aged 15-19 years, by region,
1990-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019.
Adolescent birth rates are inuenced by trends in marriage and union patterns, sexual activity, contraceptive
use and rates of induced abortions (United Nations, 2013). Over the last few decades, declining adolescent
fertility has been accompanied by decreases in the proportion of adolescents aged 15-19 years who are
married (gure 7). e most rapid changes in the percentage of women aged 15-19 years who are married
occurred in Central and Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In both regions, the percentage of women
aged 15-19 who are married is expected to continue to decline through to 2030. Still, in 2020 large numbers
of adolescents in these regions – 10 million in Central and Southern Asia and 11 million in sub-Saharan
Africa – are married or in a union. In other regions, where child and early marriage is less common, the
shares of married adolescents have also declined during the same period, but to a lesser degree, and are
projected to continue to do so in the coming decade. Globally, the number of adolescents aged 15-19 years
that are married or in a union declined from 46 million in 1990 to 36 million in 2020 and is projected to
decline further in coming decade.
12 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Figure 7.
Estimates and projections of the percentage of adolescent women aged 15-19 years who are married or in a
union, by region, 1990-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Women of
Reproductive Age Who are Married or in a Union.
Globally, the number of women aged 15-19 years who had unmet need for family planning decreased from
17 million in 2000 to 14 million in 2020 (gure 8). e large decline in unmet need among adolescent
girls and young women in Central and Southern Asia from over 6 million women in 2000 to 2.6 million
in 2020 was the primary reason for the decrease at the global level. Signicant decreases also occurred,
however, in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and Europe and Northern America. During the same period,
the numbers of adolescent women with unmet need for family planning increased in sub-Saharan Africa
and Latin America and the Caribbean. e increases observed in these regions were primarily caused by
continued population growth, as both saw reductions in the percentage of adolescents with unmet need for
family planning between 2000 and 2020. By 2030, the number of women worldwide aged 15-19 years with
unmet need for family planning is projected to remain constant at 14 million, but will become increasingly
concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than half of them are projected to live.
13
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Figure 8.
Estimates and projections of the number of women aged 15-19 with an unmet need for family planning, by
region, 1990-2030
Source: Model-based estimates using data from: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Worl d
Contraceptive Use 2020.
“Myanmar/Burma: Securing health care for the most vulnerable populations in
Rakhine State” by Mallika Panorat/European Union/ECHO 2016.
15
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Assessing progress made in meeting the need
for family planning
e use of modern contraceptives among women who want to avoid pregnancy
continues to increase
Among women who want to avoid pregnancy, 77 per cent use a modern method of contraception (gure 9).
Relatively high proportions of demand satised by modern methods are found in Eastern and South-Eastern
Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe and Northern America.
ese regions are characterized by low levels of unmet need for family planning and high levels of modern
contraceptive use, whereas, the use of traditional methods in these regions varies. e comparatively high
use of traditional methods in Europe and Northern America – particularly in Southern and Eastern Europe
– has led to a lower proportion of the demand satised by modern methods compared to these other regions.
Figure 9.
Contraceptive use (modern and traditional) and unmet need for family planning among women with need for
family planning, by region, 1990-2030
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning
Indicators 2020.
16 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
e proportion of women whose demand for family planning is satised by modern methods is particularly
low in Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand, in sub-Saharan Africa and in Western Asia and
Northern Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand have the largest
proportions of women with an unmet need for family planning, yet rather small proportions of women
relying on traditional contraceptive methods. In Western Asia and Northern Africa, 15 per cent of women
who want to avoid pregnancy rely on traditional methods, the highest proportion of any region, resulting in
a relatively low proportion of the demand for family planning satised by modern methods (63 per cent).
Since 2000, women of reproductive age in all regions have increasingly satised their need for family
planning by using modern contraceptive methods. Women in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, have become
increasingly more likely to satisfy their need for family planning with modern methods: this proportion
grew from 35.8 per cent in 2000 to 55.5 per cent in 2020.
Progress in meeting the need for family planning has been uneven
Whereas some countries with large gaps in meeting the need for family planning have experienced rapid
gains, others have lagged behind. Of the 75 countries where, in 2000, less than half of the women with a
demand for family planning were using modern methods, 39 were located in sub-Saharan Africa. In 29 of
the 75 countries, less than a quarter of women with a demand for family planning used modern methods.
In 2020, 38 countries, including 21 in sub-Saharan Africa, still have levels of demand satised by modern
methods below 50 per cent. ree of these sub-Saharan African countries have levels below 25 per cent
(Chad, Somalia and South Sudan).
Some countries in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced the largest observed increases in SDG indicator
3.7.1 between 2000 and 2020 (table 2). e indicator rose more than 30 percentage points in Rwanda,
Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Madagascar, Kenya and Sierra Leone (in declining order).
e ability to meet women’s demand for family planning has oen been dampened by transient events, such
as armed conict, natural disasters and epidemics. In Colombia and Uganda, for example, women living
in regions that experienced a greater intensity of armed conict were found to reduce their use of modern
contraception (Namasivayam and others, 2017; Svallfors and Billingsley, 2019). e Ebola epidemic in Liberia
and Sierra Leone led to a 65 per cent reduction in the distribution of contraceptives (Bietsch and others,
2020). In Indonesia, the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake reduced the availability of modern contraceptives in
aected regions, leading to increases in the number of women relying on traditional methods and greater
numbers of unplanned pregnancies (Hapsari and others, 2009). Although such events do not necessarily
have persistent eects on women’s ability to use contraception, they may have long-lasting consequences for
the health and well-being of women and children, particularly in regions with already vulnerable health-
care infrastructure.
Within countries, some women who want to avoid pregnancy have been more likely to use modern methods
than others. In general, women who are wealthier, living in urban areas and who are older are more likely
to have their demand for family planning satised by modern methods (Sully and others, 2019). e gap
between the poorest and wealthiest groups as well as between women living in rural and urban settings has
narrowed over the past two decades, but inequalities persist along these dimensions (Hellwig and others,
2019).
17
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Table 2.
Countries with the largest increases in the proportion of total demand for family planning that is satised by
modern contraceptive methods, 2000 – 2020
Country 2000 2020 Percentage point change
Rwanda 13.8 67.8 54.0
Ethiopia 15.5 64.9 49.5
Madagascar 26.0 64.4 38.4
Burkina Faso 19.0 56.9 37.9
Sierra Leone 20.8 55.7 34.9
Malawi 42.3 76.7 34.4
Senegal 22.0 55.0 32.9
Congo 17.8 48.3 30.6
Zambia 37.6 67.2 29.6
Kenya 47.8 77.1 29.2
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning
Indicators 2020.
Note: Based on countries with data available from at least one survey taken in or after 2015.
Box 2. What makes family planning programmes successful?
Reviews of decades of research on family planning programmes have found that some specic
approaches have been more successful than others in increasing the knowledge and use of contraception
(Mwaikambo and others, 2011; Weinberger and others, 2019). Successful family planning programmes
tend to involve local communities and their leadership to improve the accessibility and availability of
contraceptive methods and services. Local communities can help by providing reliable information on
family planning and building trust among women who may wish to practice contraception. Community
engagement activities, such as group discussions, home visits, local radio programmes, lectures from
religious leaders and village gatherings focused on topics relating to family planning, have been found
to stimulate the demand for modern methods and to increase modern contraceptive use in a number of
settings, including in India, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal (Speizer and others, 2014; Speizer and others,
2018). Recruiting health workers who understand local cultural norms and can empathize with the
concerns of local women has been an eective strategy for communicating information on family
planning, distributing contraceptive methods and services and creating a liaison between women and
formal health-care institutions in a variety of settings, including in Afghanistan (Huber and others,
2010), Ghana (Debpuur and others, 2003), Madagascar (Stoebenau and Valente, 2003), Malawi (Kalanda,
2010), India (Kambo and others, 1994) and Pakistan (Sultan and others 2002), among others.
By addressing the family planning needs of local populations and playing a supportive role for formal
health-care providers, community-based approaches can be eective in meeting the demand for family
planning. S approaches have also been scaled-up eectively producing change beyond the local level,
as has been done in Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda (Ingabire and others, 2019; Keyonzo and others, 2015;
Masiano and others, 2019). Successfully scaling up localized approaches to the regional or national
level, however, will depend on the ability of governments to establish sustainable nancing strategies
through a combination of budget allocation and execution, evidence-based programming, pooled or
coordinated purchasing, procuring in bulk, and donor contributions (High Impact Practices in Family
Planning, 2018).
18 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Below are some examples of the variety of ways countries have built successful family planning
programmes. Ethiopia: e success of family planning programmes in Ethiopia is due, in part, to
signicant investments by the government and international donors in the Ethiopian health-care system
as well as in skilled community health workers, women from the local community who are trained to
administer health packages and to provide family planning and other health services (Olson and Piller,
2013).
Malawi: Since 2000, the government of Malawi has committed to positioning family planning as an
essential part of attaining the health-related Millennium Development Goals, engaging with community
and religious leaders to build support for family planning at the local level and heavily subsidizing
family planning services (Masiano and others, 2019).
Rwanda: Rwanda has used a number of channels to forge progress, including strong commitment
from government ocials at the local and national level, the integration of family planning services
into immunization and HIV/AIDS programmes, an expansion and decentralization of the health-care
system, the creation of community-based health insurance and strengthening logistics systems to avoid
shortage in supplies (Muhoza and others, 2016).
Senegal: e Senegalese government has taken a multifaceted approach aimed at stimulating the
demand for family planning and to improve the supply and availability of contraception. is included
the launch of information campaigns about the eects of frequent pregnancies on health, mass media
campaigns that discussed and debated family planning, and decentralized supply chains reducing the
incidence of shortages in contraceptive supplies (Hasselback, 2017; Benson and others, 2018).
Improving access to family planning services and information is expected to
result in more women using modern contraceptive methods
e vision of the 2030 Agenda is to ensure, by 2030, universal access to sexual and reproductive health-
care services, including family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive
health into national strategies and programmes (target 3.7). To achieve this vision, the reproductive rights of
individuals should be supported by guaranteeing the accessibility, availability, aordability and convenience
of family planning services; comprehensive and factual information on the proper use, eectiveness and
side-eects of the various methods; counselling to aid individuals in selecting and eectively using an
appropriate method; and a full range of reproductive health-care services, including family planning.
How can the international community monitor the achievement of this ambitious vision? SDG indicator
3.7.1, which measures the proportion of women aged 15-49 years with a need for family planning who use
a modern contraceptive method, has no global numerical ‘target’ value set to be achieved by 2030. Looking
at the highest values of the indicator, in 22 countries representing regions such as Europe and Northern
America, Latin America and the Caribbean and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, more than 85 per cent
of women who want to avoid pregnancy are using a modern contraceptive method but for no country is
this estimate above 91 per cent. Even in these countries, specic sub-populations (for example, adolescents
or the poor) can still face barriers to access to family planning information and services. It should also be
recognized that reaching 100 per cent may not be a necessary or even desirable outcome with respect to
reproductive rights. Some women may prefer to use a traditional method, even while having access to a
full range of modern methods and being aware of the typical dierences in eectiveness of methods in
preventing pregnancies. Other women might have ambivalent preferences regarding their next pregnancy
which may inuence their contraceptive choice.
19
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
What would be ambitious, yet achievable progress in meeting needs for family planning in the coming
decade? e trajectories of projections of family planning indicators (United Nations, 2020) are based on
past experiences of individual countries and represent a range of possible outcomes that can be achieved,
depending on the course of action that countries adopt over the next decade. e median projection
represents the most likely outcome for each individual country until 2030 based on experiences of all
countries, while the accelerated action projection is based on past trends in countries with faster increases
in use of modern methods among women wanting to avoid pregnancy. Some of these countries were given
as examples in Box 2 on successful family planning programmes.
Improved access to family planning services and information is expected to lead to more women using
modern methods, with the largest increases occurring in countries with low use of modern contraceptive
methods among women who need family planning. Assuming that countries continue on their most
probable trajectories until 2030, more than 80 per cent of women who want to avoid pregnancy would use
a modern contraceptive method in 66 countries. In 22 countries (of which 13 are in sub-Saharan Africa),
less than half would be using a modern contraceptive method by 2030. e largest regional increases are
projected for sub-Saharan Africa (to 62.7 per cent in 2030), Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand
(to 56.3 per cent) and Western Asia and Northern Africa (to 66.5 per cent).
If, however, countries progress along the path of accelerated action to improve women’s access to reproductive
health-care services and contraception, countries with the lowest proportions of demand for family planning
satised could see as much as a doubling of the proportion of women who use modern methods by 2030.
Under this accelerated scenario, only four countries (Albania, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, South
Sudan) would continue to have a proportion of demand for family planning satised by modern methods
below 50 per cent. For 109 countries or areas (of 185 countries or areas with data available), accelerated
action would lead to more than 80 per cent of women who want to avoid pregnancy using modern methods
by 2030. For sub-Saharan Africa, where the proportion of the demand satised by modern methods is
lowest, accelerated action is projected to increase the share to 66.6 per cent in 2030 as opposed to 62.7
per cent as projected based on average past trends. Achieving accelerated action would reduce inequality
in access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including family planning, across countries and
globally.
Despite increases in all countries and regions, only a modest increase is projected at the global level. According
to the projections, the global demand for family planning satised by modern methods is expected to reach
78 per cent in 2030 based on past trends and 80 per cent if accelerated action were to be achieved (gure 10).
In the coming decade, many countries with a low contraceptive prevalence are expected to experience rapid
growth in the numbers of women of reproductive age with need for family planning due to a combination
of high population growth and changing childbearing intentions. To illustrate the large impact of this
dierential population growth: if all countries were to maintain the same proportion of the demand for
family planning that is satised by modern methods in 2030 as they have in 2020, the global value would
decline to 75.2 per cent by 2030. erefore, the progress at the global level is contingent on meeting family
planning needs of women in countries with the largest gaps.
20 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Figure 10.
Proportion of women who have their need for family planning satised by modern contraceptive methods
(SDG indicator 3.7.1), 1990-2030, with illustrative scenarios
Source: Scenarios calculated using data from: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates
and Projections of Family Planning Indicators 2020; United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2019).
World Population Prospects 2019.
Note: Trajectories for projections of family planning indicators (United Nations, 2020) are based on past experiences of individual countries,
as well as other countries in the same region and globally. ‘Past trends’ scenario is based on the median projection (i.e., 50th percentile at each
time point of the distribution of probabilistic projection trajectories) and represents the most likely outcome for each country until 2030.
‘Accelerated action’ scenario equals the 90th percentile of the probabilistic projection trajectories and implies a faster increase in the use of modern
contraceptive methods among women with a desire to avoid pregnancy. ‘COVID-19 Impact’ scenario depicts temporary disruptions in the
provision of family planning services as described by Dasgupta and colleagues (2020), with recovery to the ‘past trends’ scenario in two years.
21
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Box 3. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic adds to the uncertainty of achieving universal
access to sexual and reproductive health-care services
e coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has made the path towards achieving universal access
to sexual and reproductive health-care services by 2030, including family planning, more uncertain.
Beyond its immediate impacts on individual health, it has also had ancillary eects on individual well-
being by slowing down economies, virtually halting migration both within and between countries and
straining health systems. Women’s ability to use contraception has also been impacted by COVID-19
pandemic: it has disrupted the global supply chain, which has led to reduced production, distribution
and availability of contraceptive commodities, resulting in shortages (Purdy, 2020); some health-care
facilities are reducing services (International Planned Parenthood Federation, 2020; Marie Stopes
International, 2020); health-care providers who have been redirected away from providing family
planning services towards responding to the COVID-19 pandemic (Santoshini, 2020); and shelter-in-
place orders which have limited women’s ability to visit health-care facilities (UNFPA, 2020).
In the absence of data that would allow to estimate the global impact, Dasgupta and others (2020)
produced a scenario of the potential immediate impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the proportion
of women of reproductive age who have their need for family planning satised by modern methods
(SDG indicator 3.7.1). Assuming that the COVID-19 pandemic would have dierential impacts on the
use of specic methods, depending on how reliant the use of those methods is on interactions with the
health-care system or distribution channels, the greatest impact would be felt in Latin America and the
Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa owing to a relatively greater reliance on short-term methods that
need frequent contact with health-care providers, such as injectables and pills. Globally, the proportion
of women of reproductive age who have their need for family planning satised by modern methods
would decline under this scenario to 71 per cent in case of full-year disruptions or 74 per cent for half-
year disruptions in 2020. It remains uncertain how long-term trends in access to sexual and reproductive
health-care services, including family planning, will be impacted aer the immediate disruptions due
to COVID-19 pandemic are resolved. A study of the Ebola crisis in Western Africa documented that
contraceptive use returned to the pre-disruption situation quite quickly (Bietsch and others, 2020).
For women – and their partners and families – who experienced an unintended pregnancy resulting
from the lack of access to contraception during COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts will be long-lasting.
Riley and others, 2020, produced a scenario of 10 per cent decline in the use of short- and long-acting
reversible contraception in low- and middle-income countries during COVID-19 pandemic, which
resulted in an additional 49 million women with unmet need for modern contraception and an additional
15 million unintended pregnancies over the course of the year in low and middle-income countries.
23
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Family planning in the context of the Sustainable
Development Goals
e comprehensive nature of the 2030 Agenda naturally led to synergies between its various goals and targets.
By meeting women’s needs for family planning, progress towards achieving other targets, concerning health
and socioeconomic wellbeing, can be facilitated. So too can target 3.7. be inuenced by the achievement of
other targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Women who make their own decisions on sexual and reproductive health
are more likely to satisfy their need for family planning by using modern
contraceptive methods
Target 5.6 of the 2030 Agenda aims to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and
reproductive rights in accordance with relevant intergovernmental agreements. A fundamental aspect of
attaining universal access is ensuring that all women in the reproductive age range make their own informed
decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care.
Supporting women’s freedom in reproductive and contraceptive decision-making has implications for
contraceptive use and the types of methods used. Countries in which more women aged 15-49 years make
their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care
(SDG indicator 5.6.1) tend to have higher proportions of the demand for family planning satised by the
use of modern contraceptive methods (gure 11). Across countries with available data, the average share of
women who make their own decisions concerning reproduction and health care is 51.2 per cent. Countries
in sub-Saharan Africa typically have the lowest percentage of women who make their own decisions
regarding reproduction and health care, while also having the lowest proportions of demand for family
planning satised by modern methods. Nevertheless, there is wide variation between countries in that
region in the percentage of women making their own decisions concerning sexual relations, contraceptive
use and reproductive health care, ranging from below 8 per cent in Mali, Niger and Senegal to above 70
per cent in Madagascar and Namibia. Countries in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and in Latin America
and the Caribbean had the highest proportions of women who made their own reproductive health-care
decisions and also had the highest use of modern methods among women who want to avoid pregnancy.
24 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Figure 11.
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years whose demand for family planning is satised by modern contracep-
tive methods (SDG indicator 3.7.1) by the proportion who make their own decisions concerning sexual and
reproductive health and reproductive rights (SDG indicator 5.6.1), selected countries of areas, 2007 to 2018
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Statistics Division (2020). Global SDG Indicators Database.
Note: Data on SDG indicator 5.6.1 are currently available for only 57 countries. Among women aged 15-49 years who are married or in union,
the indicator measures the percentage who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive
health care. Data on reproductive decision-making come mainly from nationally representative surveys, especially the Demographic and Health
Surveys but also the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and the Gender and Generations Surveys.
Satisfying the demand for family planning with modern methods can improve
health and economic outcomes
Increasing the proportion of demand satised by modern methods can lead to progress in achieving other
socioeconomic and health goals of the 2030 Agenda by improving women’s ability to avoid unwanted,
mistimed and high-risk pregnancies. For example, pregnancies occurring following short interbirth intervals
or at older ages are known to be associated with higher risks of maternal mortality (Blanc and others, 2013;
Conde-Agudelo and Belizán, 2000). In regions with more restrictive abortion legislation, unintended
pregnancies are also more likely to be terminated through unsafe abortions, which are associated with a
higher risk of maternal mortality (Ganatra and others, 2017). Increasing the proportion of demand satised
by modern methods can therefore play a pivotal role in supporting progress towards reducing the maternal
mortality ratio (SDG indicator 3.1.1) by enabling women to more eectively avoid high-risk pregnancies
that disproportionately contribute to maternal mortality (gure 12). Whereas, maternal mortality ratios
are highest in sub-Saharan Africa, they vary widely across the region ranging from over 1,100 per 100,000
births in Chad, Sierra Leone and South Sudan to below 100 deaths per 100,000 births in Cabo Verde and
Mauritius. A higher proportion of demand satised by modern methods tends to be associated with
25
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
lower maternal mortality ratios (gure 12). Whereas increasing the proportion of demand satised by
modern contraceptive methods is, evidently, not sucient to reduce the maternal mortality ratio on its
own, such a change can contribute to a reduction of maternal mortality risks in conjunction with other
measures, such as increasing the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel (SDG indicator
3.1.2), expanding the coverage of essential health services (SDG indicator 3.8.1) and improving the density
and distribution of health workers (SDG indicator 3.c.1).
Figure 12.
Maternal mortality ratios (SDG indicator 3.1.1) by the proportion of women who have their need for family
planning satised by modern methods (SDG indicator 3.7.1), by region, 2017
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Statistics Division (2020). Global SDG Indicators Database; United
Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division. (2020). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning Indicators 2020.
Beyond its direct inuences on maternal health, increasing the proportion of demand satised by modern
methods can also support progress towards reaching other targets of the 2030 Agenda. Reducing unplanned
pregnancies and having greater control over the timing of pregnancies has the potential to help reduce
intimate partner violence (SDG indicator 5.2.1) (Nasir and Hyder, 2003), increase the educational attainment
of women and their children (SDG indicator 4.3.1) (Fergusson and others, 2007; Pop-Eleches, 2006), reduce
the percentage of women and children who live in poverty (SDG indicator 1.2.1) (Foster and others, 2018),
reduce the prevalence of stunting among children under the age of ve (SDG indicator 2.2.1) (Shapiro-
Mendoza and others, 2005) and reduce neonatal and under-ve mortality (SDG indicators 3.2.1 and 3.2.2)
(Gipson and others, 2008). In short, ensuring that women who wish to avoid pregnancy have access to a
variety of modern contraceptives and agency to use them may have far-reaching implications for other
domains of their lives.
26 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Box 4. Estimates of broader development impacts of family planning investments
Family planning is oen characterized as a key investment because it provides a lifetime of benets
to users and their families and communities. At the individual level, there are benets in infant, child
and maternal health outcomes (SDG 3), improved educational outcomes (SDG 4), gender equality
and women’s empowerment (SDG 5) and equal access to the labour market, social protection and the
political process (SDGs 5, 8, and 16).
Recent studies have made the economic case for the return on investment of family planning (Canning
and Schultz, 2012). Five such studies were assessed and summarised by Family Planning 2020 (2018).
ese studies vary in terms of timescale for measuring the benets (short versus long-term), outcomes
(health versus other), benets (US dollars saved versus economic gains), scale (one country versus
developing countries), and estimated cost of contraception.
e Guttmacher Institute’s Adding It Up models estimated the short-term savings of meeting need for
family planning. For every additional US dollar invested in meeting the need for contraceptives, the
Guttmacher Institute estimates that US$2.20 is saved in maternal and newborn healthcare services, due
to a reduction in the number of unintended pregnancies (Singh and others, 2009). is estimate was
recently revised upward. Using more recent data, it was found that every additional US dollar investment
saved three US dollars (Sully and others, 2020). e Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Scenarios
model estimated that for every US dollar invested in contraception between two to six US dollars would
be saved in meeting other MDG targets, across the 16 countries studied (Moreland and Talbird, 2006).
At the upper bound of the range of estimates, the Copenhagen Consensus project compared the cost-
eectiveness of dierent development interventions and concluded that every US dollar invested in
meeting unmet need would yield – in the long-term – US$120 in accrued benets (Kohler and Behrman,
2015).
e Demographic Dividend model demonstrated that in the long-term, reduced fertility would lead to
improved maternal and child health outcomes, as well as to increased labour market productivity resulting
in increased GDP per capita (Moreland and others, 2014). is model made the case to policymakers
outside the health sector that investments in family planning together with investments in education and
the economy would increase per capita GDP. e Family Planning Sustainable Development Goals model
demonstrated that improvements in socioeconomic status along with investments in family planning
maximise long-term progress towards reducing poverty and food insecurity and increasing income.
ese analyses have helped to build the economic case for investment in family planning and have
shown the relevance of family planning for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
27
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Policy implications and recommendations
Although there has been considerable progress in increasing the proportion of women of reproductive age
(aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satised by modern methods (SDG indicator
3.7.1), signicant inequalities remain within and between countries and regions. Further progress over the
next decade is uncertain because of the large increases in the population of women with need for family
planning due to both population growth and changing childbearing preferences. e increase in demand for
family planning will be particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa, but also in other regions with large gaps in
meeting the needs for family planning, such as Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand, and Northern
Africa and Western Asia. In these regions, population growth will pose signicant challenges for meeting
the needs of growing numbers of women of reproductive age, requiring rapid expansion of the sexual and
reproductive health-care services, including family planning. Countries facing rapid population growth
should adopt evidence-based programming strategies and maintain sustainable nancing mechanisms by
maximising cost-eectiveness of their family planning programmes and to plan for rapid increases in the
number of women in need of family planning.
ere are multiple reasons for which women do not use modern contraceptive methods even when they
wish to avoid pregnancy, including limited choice of methods, limited access to services (particularly among
young, poorer and unmarried people), opposition to use of contraception stemming from a woman’s or
her partner’s personal or religious beliefs, fear of side eects, inconvenience, preferences for traditional
methods or perceived low pregnancy risk due to infecundity or infrequent sexual activity (Sedgh and
Hussain, 2014). In the past two decades, several countries were successful in reducing gaps in meeting
the needs for family planning. Whether or not other countries can replicate these successes will depend
on a range of factors, in particular the commitment from governments to create legislative and nancial
mechanisms that can support sustainable family planning programmes and programming that is sensitive to
local settings. Investments in developing new contraceptive methods would be benecial, as many women
may be unsatised with current modern methods for a number of reasons. Furthermore, there are currently
few contraceptive methods intended specically for use by men.
In the next decade, accelerated action across all countries is needed to live up to the commitments made in
the 2030 Agenda to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, information
and education by 2030. Nevertheless, the advances made so far and those expected to be made over the
next 10 years are not ensured, as the COVID-19 pandemic is leaving signicant numbers of women and
couples without access to essential sexual and reproductive health-care services and impacting women’s
lives and reproductive health. It is therefore essential that countries nd innovative ways to continue to
address the family planning needs of their populations, despite the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19
pandemic on health systems. e disruptions in the provision of contraceptive services have serious and
long-lasting impacts for the individuals who experience an unintended pregnancy due to the lack of access to
contraceptive methods. Timely action to support the access to sexual and reproductive health-care services,
information and education is essential.
28 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
References
Alkema, Leontine, and others (2013). National, regional, and global rates and trends in contraceptive
prevalence and unmet need for family planning between 1990 and 2015: A systematic and comprehensive
analysis. e Lancet, vol. 381, No. 9878, pp. 1642-1652.
Benson, Aimee, and others (2018). e Senegal urban reproductive health initiative: a longitudinal program
impact evaluation. Contraception, vol. 97, No. 5, pp. 439-444.
Blanc, Ann K., William Winfrey, and John Ross (2013). New ndings for maternal mortality age patterns:
Aggregated results for 38 countries. PloS One, vol. 8, No. 4, pp. e59864-e59864.
Canning, David, and T. Paul Schultz (2012). e economic consequences of reproductive health and family
planning. e Lancet, vol. 380, No. 9837, pp. 165-171.
Conde-Agudelo, Agustín, and José M. Belizán (2000). Maternal morbidity and mortality associated with
interpregnancy interval: Cross sectional study. BMJ, vol. 321, No. 7271, pp. 1255-1259.
Das Gupta, Prithwis (1993). Standardization and Decomposition of Rates: A User’s Manual (No. P23-186;
Current Population Reports). US Bureau of the Census.
Dasgupta, Aisha, Vladimíra Kantorová and Philipp Ueng (2020). e impact of the COVID-19 crisis
on meeting needs for family planning: a global scenario by contraceptive methods used. Gates Open
Research, vol. 4, No. 102.
Debpuur, Cornelius, and others (2003). e impact of the Navrongo Project on contraceptive knowledge
and use, reproductive preferences, and fertility. Studies in Family Planning, vol. 33, No.2, pp. 141-164.
Family Planning 2020. (2018). Family Planning’s Return on Investment. Family Planning 2020. Available at:
www.familyplanning2020.org/resources/fp2020-family-plannings-return-investment.
Fergusson, David M., Joseph M. Boden and L. John Horwood (2007). Abortion among young women and
subsequent life outcomes. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 6-12.
Foster, Diana Greene, and others (2018). Socioeconomic outcomes of women who receive and women who
are denied wanted abortions in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, vol. 108, No. 3, pp.
407-413.
Ganatra, Bela, and others (2017). Global, regional, and subregional classication of abortions by safey, 2010–
14: Estimates from a Bayesian hierarchical model. e Lancet, vol. 390, No. 10110, pp. 2372-2381.
Gipson, Jessica D., Michael A. Koenig, and Michelle J. Hindin (2008). e eects of unintended pregnan-
cy on infant, child, and parental health: A review of the literature. Studies in Family Planning, vol. 39,
No. 1, pp. 18-38.
Hasselback, Leah (2017). Understanding and addressing contraceptive stockouts to increase family planning
access and uptake in Senegal. BMC Health Services Research, vol. 17, No. 1, 373, doi: 10.1186/s12913-
017-2316-y.
29
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Hapsari, Elsi Dwi and others (2009). Change in contraceptive methods following the Yogyakarta earthquake
and its association with the prevalence of unplanned pregnancy. Contraception, vol. 79, No. 4,
pp. 316-322.
Hellwig, Franciele, Carolina V.N. Coll, Fernanda Ewerling and Aluisio J.D. Barros (2019). Time trends in
demand for family planning satised: analysis of 73 countries using national health surveys over a
24-year period. Journal of Global Health, vol. 9, No. 2, doi: 10.7189/jogh.09.020423.
High Impact Practices in Family Planning (HIPs) (2018). Domestic public nancing: Building a sustainable
future for family planning programs. Washington, DC: USAID.
Huber, Douglas, Nika Saeedi, and Abdul Khalil Samadi (2010). Achieving success with family planning in
rural Afghanistan. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 88, pp. 227-231.
Ingabire, Rosine, and others (2019). Development and uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptive services
in Rwanda, 2009-2016. Journal of Women’s Health, vol. 28, No. 12, pp. 1640-1649.
International Planned Parenthood Federation (2020). COVID-19 pandemic cuts access to sexual and
reproductive healthcare for women around the world. Available at: www.ippf.org/news/covid-19-
pandemic-cuts-access-sexual-and-reproductive-healthcare-women-around-world. Accessed on 28 July
2020.
Kalanda, Boniface (2010). Repositioning family planning through community based distribution agents in
Malawi. Malawi Medical Journal, vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 71-74.
Kambo, Indra, and others (1994). Use of traditional medical practitioners to deliver family planning services
in Uttar Pradesh. Studies in Family Planning, vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 32-40.
Kantorová, Vladimíra, and others (2020). Estimating progress towards meeting women’s contraceptive
needs in 185 countries: A Bayesian hierarchical modelling study. PLOS Medicine, vol. 17, No. 2, doi:
10.1371/journal.pmed.1003026.
Keyonzo, Nelson, and others (2015). From project to program: Tupange’s experience with scaling up family
planning interventions in urban Kenya. Reproductive Health Matters, vol. 23, No. 45, pp. 103-113.
Kohler, Hans-Peter, and Jere R. Behrman (2015). Benets and costs of the population and demography targets
for the post-2015 development agenda. Copenhagen Consensus Center Population and Demography
Assessment Paper (as of 3 October 2014).
Marie Stopes International (2020). Stories from the frontline: in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Available at: www.mariestopes.org/covid-19/stories-from-the-frontline/. Accessed: 28 July 2020.
Masiano, Steven P., and others (2019). e eects of community-based distribution of family planning
services on contraceptive use: the case of a national scale-up in Malawi. Social Science and Medicine,
vol. 238 (October), doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112490.
Moreland, Scott, and others (2014). Modeling the Demographic Dividend: Technical Guide to the DemDiv
Model. Health Policy Project, No. 44 (December). Washington, DC: Futures Group.
Moreland, Scott, and Sandra Talbird (2006). Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: e contribution
of fullling the unmet need for family planning. Health Policy Project (May). Chapel Hill: USAID.
30 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Muhoza, Dieudonne Ndaruhuye, Pierre Claver Rutayisire and Aline Umubyeyi (2016). Measuring the
success of family planning initiatives in Rwanda: a multivariate decomposition analysis. Journal of
Population Research, vol. 33, pp. 361-377.
Mwaikambo, Lisa, and others (2011). What works in family planning interventions: a systematic review.
Studies in Family Planning, vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 67-82.
Nasir, Khurram, and Adnan A. Hyder (2003). Violence against pregnant women in developing countries:
Review of evidence. e European Journal of Public Health, vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 105-107.
Namasivayam, Amrita, and others (2017). e eect of armed conict on the utilization of maternal health
services in Uganda: a population-based study. PLoS Currents, vol. 9, doi:10.1371/currents.dis.557b987d-
6519d8c7c96f2006ed3c271a.
Olson, David J. and Andrew Piller (2013). Ethiopia: An emerging family planning success story. Studies in
Family Planning, vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 445-459.
Polis, Chelsea B., and others (2016). Typical-use contraceptive failure rates in 43 countries with Demographic
and Health Survey data: Summary of a detailed report. Contraception, vol. 94, No. 1, pp. 11–17.
Pop-Eleches, Cristian (2006). e impact of an abortion ban on socioeconomic outcomes of children:
Evidence from Romania. Journal of Political Economy, vol. 114, No. 4, pp. 744-773.
Purdy, Chris (2020). How will COVID-19 aect global access to contraceptives – and what can we do about
it? Devex. 11 March 2020.
Riley, Taylor and others (2020). Estimates of the Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual and
Reproductive Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. International Perspectives on Sexual and
Reproductive Health, vol. 46, pp.73–76.
Santoshini, Sarita (2020). Family planning eorts upended by the coronavirus. Foreign Policy. https://for-
eignpolicy.com/2020/05/13/india-family-planning-upended-coronavirus-women-sexual-reproduc-
tive-health/. Accessed: 28 July 2020.
Sedgh, Gilda, and Rubina Hussain (2014). Reasons for contraceptive nonuse among women having unmet
need for contraception in developing countries. Studies in Family Planning, vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 151-169.
Shapiro-Mendoza, Carrie, and others (2005). Parental pregnancy intention and early childhood stunting:
Findings from Bolivia. International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 387-396.
Singh, Susheela, and others (2009). Adding it up: the costs and benets of investing in family planning and
maternal and newborn health. New York: Guttmacher Institute and United Nations Population Fund.
Speizer, Ilene and others (2014). Demand generation activities and modern contraceptive use in urban
areas of four countries: a longitudinal evaluation. Global Health: Science and Practice, vol. 4, No. 4,
pp. 410-426.
Speizer, Ilene and others (2018). Association of men’s exposure to family planning programming and
reported discussion with partner and family planning use: the case of urban Senegal. PLoS ONE,
vol. 13, No. 9, 10.1371/journal.pone.0204049.
Stoebenau, Kirsten and omas W. Valente (2003). Using network analysis to understand community-based
programs: a case study from highland Madagascar. International Family Planning Perspectives, vol. 29,
No. 4, pp. 167-173.
31
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Sully, Elizabeth, Ann Biddlecom and Jacqueline E. Darroch (2019). Not all inequalities are equal: dierences
in coverage across the continuum of reproductive health services. BMJ Global Health, vol. 4, 10.1136/
bmjgh-2019-001695.
Sully, Elizabeth, and others (2020). Adding it up: investing in sexual and reproductive health2019. New York:
Guttmacher Institute, 2020. New York: Guttmacher Institute and United Nations Population Fund.
Sultan, Mehboob, John G. Cleland, and Mohamed M. Ali (2002). Assessment of a new approach to family
planning services in rural Pakistan. American Journal of Public Health, vol. 92, No. 7, pp. 1168-1172.
Svallfors, Signe and Sunnee Billingsley (2019). Conict and contraception in Colombia. Studies in Family
Planning, vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 87-112.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division (2013). Adolescent Fertility
since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo.
______ (2019a). World Population Prospects 2019, Online Edition, Rev. 1.
______ (2019b). Contraceptive Use by Method 2019 (Data Booklet ST/ESA/SER.A/435).
______ (2020a). World Contraceptive Use 2020 (POP/DB/CP/REV2020).
______ (2020b). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning Indicators 2020.
______ (2020c). Estimates and Projections of Women of Reproductive Age Who are Married or in a Union.
______ (2020d). Fertility among young adolescents aged 10 to 14 years (ST/ESA/SER.A/448).
World Health Organization. (2018). Global Health Estimates 2016: Disease burden by Cause, Age, Sex, by
Country and by Region, 2000-2016. World Health Organization.
United Nations Population Fund (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on family planning and ending
gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage. Interim Technical Note.
Weinberger, Michelle, and others (2019). Using evidence to drive impact: developing the FP goals impact
matrix. Studies in Family Planning, vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 289-316.
32 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Annex table
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
WORLD 73.6 (71.3-75.3) 76.8 (74.2-79.0) .. ..
Sub-Saharan Africa 35.8 (34.5-37.1) 55.5 (53.4-57.6) .. ..
Northern Africa and Western Asia 55.0 (51.9-57.8) 62.9 (58.3-67.0) .. ..
Central and Southern Asia 64.5 (61.3-67.7) 71.7 (64.7-77.7) .. ..
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 85.9 (79.8-88.6) 86.2 (80.8-89.5) .. ..
Latin America and the Caribbean 76.1 (73.5-78.2) 82.9 (79.3-85.6) .. ..
Oceania (excluding Australia and
New Zealand)
42.5 (34.7-50.6) 52.1 (45.0-58.9) .. ..
Australia and New Zealand 84.5 (71.3-90.0) 85.2 (71.4-91.2) .. ..
Europe and Northern America 73.6 (69.0-76.7) 80.6 (75.0-84.2) .. ..
Developed regions 72.8 (68.6-75.9) 79.5 (74.3-82.9) .. ..
Less developed regions 73.9 (71.2-75.8) 76.3 (73.4-78.8) .. ..
Less developed regions, excluding
least developed countries
77.3 (74.2-79.2) 79.1 (75.8-81.8) .. ..
Less developed regions, excluding
China
63.3 (61.8-64.8) 70.7 (67.8-73.5) .. ..
Least developed countries 38.6 (37.1-40.0) 58.7 (55.4-61.8) .. ..
Land-locked Developing Countries
(LLDC)
43.6 (42.3-44.9) 62.9 (60.1-65.4) .. ..
Small island developing States
(SIDS)
67.1 (63.9-69.9) 70.5 (66.9-73.6) .. ..
High-income countries 75.9 (71.3-79.0) 80.2 (75.1-83.5) .. ..
Middle-income countries 75.5 (72.7-77.4) 78.4 (75.2-81.0) .. ..
Upper-middle-income countries 84.1 (79.2-86.5) 85.4 (80.9-88.3) .. ..
Lower-middle-income countries 62.6 (60.2-64.8) 70.6 (65.7-74.9) .. ..
Low-income countries 33.4 (31.9-35.2) 55.2 (52.7-57.6) .. ..
AFRICA 42.7 (41.4-43.9) 58.5 (56.3-60.6) .. ..
Eastern Africa 34.6 (33.2-36.0) 64.2 (61.2-67.1) .. ..
Burundi 19.1 (14.5-24.6) 45.2 (35.8-55.0) 2017 38.0 M
Comoros 28.9 (23.0-35.7) 39.7 (26.6-54.7) 2012 28.8
Djibouti 18.9 (11.3-32.0) 48.8 (29.6-68.7) .. ..
Eritrea 18.7 (15.1-22.9) 31.1 (17.0-50.1) 2010 21.0
Ethiopia 15.5 (13.6-17.7) 64.9 (56.8-72.6) 2018 62.3 M
Kenya 47.8 (42.9-52.7) 77.1 (71.1-82.0) 2017 76.0
33
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
Madagascar 26.0 (21.4-31.0) 64.4 (54.8-72.8) 2017 60.5 M
Malawi 42.3 (39.2-44.8) 76.7 (68.0-83.5) 2016 73.9
Mauritius* 51.7 (37.6-65.3) 55.2 (35.9-72.5) 2014 40.8 M
Mozambique 36.4 (30.9-42.3) 54.9 (42.4-67.1) 2015 55.5
Réunion* 79.4 (66.3-87.9) 82.7 (64.7-93.3) .. ..
Rwanda 13.8 (12.0-16.1) 67.8 (57.0-77.0) 2015 62.9 M
Somalia 2.8 (0.9-9.0) 20.8 (6.6-47.1) .. ..
South Sudan 10.2 (5.0-20.4) 19.7 (11.5-33.5) 2010 5.6 M
Uganda 33.2 (29.8-36.6) 58.1 (51.1-64.9) 2018 53.5 M
United Republic of Tanzania* 40.0 (35.4-44.7) 60.0 (49.8-69.3) 2016 54.0
Zambia 37.6 (32.8-42.5) 67.2 (59.7-73.7) 2014 62.4
Zimbabwe 72.5 (68.6-76.1) 85.2 (77.7-90.5) 2015 84.8
Middle Africa 17.4 (14.7-20.6) 33.8 (28.6-39.6) .. ..
Angola 17.3 (12.1-23.9) 34.3 (26.0-43.7) 2016 29.8
Cameroon 25.0 (20.0-30.4) 50.0 (40.7-58.9) 2014 47.0
Central African Republic 21.1 (15.6-27.8) 40.7 (24.5-59.3) 2011 28.7 M
Chad 11.0 (8.3-14.5) 24.2 (16.2-34.7) 2015 20.2 M
Congo 17.8 (10.3-28.6) 48.3 (35.1-62.0) 2015 43.2
Democratic Republic of the Congo 14.5 (10.3-20.0) 26.6 (17.7-37.4) 2014 18.9 M
Equatorial Guinea 19.5 (12.2-29.7) 36.4 (24.6-49.9) 2011 20.7 M
Gabon 26.6 (22.8-30.7) 52.2 (39.6-64.7) 2012 44.0
Sao Tome and Principe 41.3 (32.3-50.9) 58.3 (44.5-71.3) 2014 52.2 M
Northern Africa 66.1 (62.1-69.0) 71.3 (64.4-76.7) .. ..
Algeria 70.3 (59.2-78.5) 75.8 (59.4-86.3) 2013 77.2 M
Egypt 75.8 (72.1-77.8) 80.2 (68.9-88.1) 2014 80.0 M
Libya 36.1 (25.5-47.4) 37.4 (22.8-54.0) 2014 24.0 M
Morocco 67.9 (59.8-74.3) 73.4 (65.1-79.7) 2018 68.6 M
Sudan 17.4 (11.5-26.5) 33.2 (19.5-50.9) 2014 30.1 M
Tunisia 70.4 (61.3-77.5) 68.8 (55.5-79.2) 2012 73.2 M
Southern Africa 79.0 (74.5-82.7) 81.6 (74.1-87.6) .. ..
Botswana 75.8 (61.3-86.5) 86.0 (72.0-93.8) .. ..
Eswatini 56.6 (48.2-64.6) 82.7 (72.4-90.1) 2014 82.9 M
Lesotho 51.8 (45.7-57.9) 80.8 (72.8-86.8) 2014 78.9
Namibia 69.1 (65.1-72.9) 82.8 (72.4-90.4) 2013 80.4
South Africa 80.8 (75.9-84.8) 81.4 (72.8-88.2) 2016 77.9 M
34 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
Western Africa 25.7 (23.8-27.8) 44.6 (41.1-48.1) .. ..
Benin 15.2 (12.4-18.5) 31.9 (25.7-38.5) 2018 25.9 M
Burkina Faso 19.0 (16.0-22.4) 56.9 (49.1-64.6) 2018 56.4
Cabo Verde 68.3 (56.6-75.7) 78.6 (63.0-88.9) 2005 73.2 M
Côte d’Ivoire 24.3 (19.6-29.6) 47.6 (40.3-55.1) 2018 39.4 M
Gambia 31.9 (24.3-40.9) 37.4 (27.3-49.3) 2013 26.7 M
Ghana 28.2 (24.5-32.2) 50.0 (41.6-58.3) 2017 46.2 M
Guinea 17.7 (14.8-21.0) 32.0 (22.9-42.9) 2016 21.5 M
Guinea-Bissau 27.2 (19.3-37.3) 59.6 (45.6-72.4) 2014 55.7 M
Liberia 26.3 (19.6-34.6) 50.0 (39.1-61.5) 2013 41.4
Mali 19.3 (16.4-22.6) 43.6 (36.7-51.2) 2015 35.0 M
Mauritania 14.4 (11.4-18.4) 34.3 (21.5-49.7) 2015 30.4 M
Niger 25.4 (20.6-30.9) 48.2 (37.1-59.2) 2018 45.5 M
Nigeria 28.8 (24.9-32.9) 40.2 (33.3-47.1) 2018 42.8 M
Senegal 22.0 (18.4-26.2) 55.0 (45.1-64.5) 2017 50.9
Sierra Leone 20.8 (15.6-27.7) 55.7 (48.3-63.0) 2017 44.7 M
Togo 23.0 (18.8-27.7) 46.4 (36.3-56.9) 2014 37.4 M
ASIA 77.4 (73.8-79.6) 78.9 (74.9-82.0) .. ..
Central Asia 73.6 (70.4-76.4) 76.2 (67.1-82.3) .. ..
Kazakhstan 72.3 (67.3-76.7) 74.9 (66.2-82.0) 2018 79.4 M,S
Kyrgyzstan 70.2 (62.4-76.9) 65.3 (53.3-75.7) 2014 66.2
Tajikistan 53.2 (41.7-64.4) 53.9 (44.4-63.0) 2017 44.8 M
Turkmenistan 72.7 (68.2-76.2) 73.8 (58.3-85.0) 2016 75.6 M
Uzbekistan 79.1 (73.3-83.7) 83.1 (65.9-92.5) .. ..
Eastern Asia 89.7 (81.9-93.1) 89.4 (82.2-93.5) .. ..
China* 92.2 (84.0-95.6) 91.3 (83.6-95.4) 2001 96.6 M
China, Hong Kong SAR* 82.7 (67.3-90.9) 80.3 (64.9-89.9) .. ..
China, Taiwan Province of China* 80.2 (63.7-88.5) 82.0 (63.9-91.8) .. ..
Dem. People’s Republic of Korea 69.5 (58.9-77.6) 83.7 (72.7-90.3) 2014 89.8 M
Japan 64.3 (51.0-74.5) 67.3 (52.0-79.2) .. ..
Mongolia 67.8 (60.2-74.0) 69.1 (59.1-77.5) 2013 65.2 M
Republic of Korea 77.5 (60.7-87.3) 81.8 (64.3-91.0) .. ..
South-Eastern Asia 69.9 (67.8-72.0) 76.3 (72.6-79.7) .. ..
Cambodia 32.7 (29.9-35.5) 62.2 (47.0-74.9) 2014 56.5 M
Indonesia 77.0 (73.5-80.3) 80.9 (74.2-86.3) 2017 77.6 M
Lao People’s Democratic Republic 46.0 (39.1-53.3) 73.5 (65.3-80.2) 2017 71.6 M
35
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
Malaysia* 47.5 (33.0-62.4) 56.1 (39.9-71.0) .. ..
Myanmar 54.3 (46.6-62.3) 77.7 (68.3-85.2) 2016 74.9 M
Philippines 44.1 (39.5-48.7) 57.6 (46.9-66.9) 2017 52.5 M
Singapore 71.7 (58.6-81.8) 77.0 (57.7-89.6) .. ..
Thailand 89.7 (85.7-92.5) 90.8 (83.9-94.8) 2016 89.2 M
Timor-Leste 39.9 (33.3-47.0) 51.0 (39.9-61.9) 2016 37.4
Viet Nam 70.7 (64.8-75.5) 78.9 (68.0-86.6) 2014 69.6 M
Southern Asia 64.2 (60.8-67.4) 71.5 (64.3-77.8) .. ..
Afghanistan 21.0 (13.6-31.9) 45.7 (35.4-57.0) 2016 42.2 M
Bangladesh 61.6 (57.8-64.9) 74.7 (63.0-83.9) 2014 72.6 M
Bhutan 52.2 (40.1-65.1) 79.3 (62.0-90.2) 2010 84.6 M
India 67.2 (62.8-71.4) 73.7 (63.8-81.9) 2016 67.2 M
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 69.3 (60.8-76.4) 75.1 (57.6-86.9) 2011 68.6 M
Maldives 48.3 (40.5-56.1) 31.8 (23.8-41.1) 2009 42.5 M
Nepal 51.6 (47.0-56.2) 61.7 (51.1-71.3) 2017 56.0 M
Pakistan 36.8 (31.3-43.0) 50.9 (41.9-60.1) 2018 48.5 M,P
Sri Lanka 64.3 (55.5-72.3) 73.4 (61.7-82.2) 2016 74.3 M
Western Asia 45.9 (41.1-50.4) 55.8 (49.8-61.3) .. ..
Armenia 31.7 (26.6-37.2) 43.1 (29.8-57.1) 2016 36.9 M
Azerbaijan* 24.4 (17.2-33.5) 31.2 (16.8-50.5) 2006 21.5 M
Bahrain 49.2 (30.3-67.3) 58.9 (32.9-80.2) .. ..
Georgia* 34.2 (23.7-45.3) 51.0 (36.4-64.3) 2010 52.8 M,S
Iraq 45.9 (34.8-57.6) 56.9 (41.9-70.9) 2018 54.6 M
Israel 64.5 (41.7-80.6) 68.3 (41.2-85.6) .. ..
Jordan 55.3 (47.8-61.8) 55.9 (44.7-66.0) 2018 56.7 M
Kuwait 59.5 (46.0-70.6) 66.6 (42.3-83.9) .. ..
Lebanon 52.7 (41.7-63.6) 60.6 (40.7-77.6) .. ..
Oman 36.9 (26.8-49.0) 39.2 (26.0-54.9) 2014 39.6 M
Qatar 55.6 (41.2-69.2) 63.0 (43.7-78.9) 2012 68.9 M
Saudi Arabia 40.1 (26.3-56.4) 43.6 (28.1-61.2) .. ..
State of Palestine* 53.2 (42.2-63.7) 64.3 (47.4-78.0) 2014 64.6 M
Syrian Arab Republic 51.9 (41.4-62.7) 61.1 (41.4-77.4) 2009 53.3 M
Turkey 50.2 (40.8-58.8) 60.4 (47.5-71.2) 2013 59.7 M
United Arab Emirates 47.0 (28.8-65.9) 59.5 (31.9-81.3) .. ..
Yemen 22.0 (17.0-28.6) 46.8 (32.6-61.4) 2013 37.7 M
36 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
EUROPE 70.1 (66.2-73.1) 79.5 (75.0-83.0) .. ..
Eastern Europe 60.9 (54.7-66.2) 74.5 (66.5-80.9) .. ..
Belarus 65.7 (53.7-75.5) 77.9 (67.0-85.7) 2012 74.2 M
Bulgaria 47.8 (36.3-59.2) 70.4 (50.0-85.1) .. ..
Czechia 72.9 (61.1-81.7) 84.3 (69.9-92.4) 2008 85.7 M,S
Hungary 76.0 (62.5-84.7) 80.2 (63.3-90.3) .. ..
Poland 53.3 (38.1-68.0) 71.8 (56.8-82.6) .. ..
Republic of Moldova* 56.6 (46.0-66.4) 66.4 (48.1-80.7) 2012 60.4 M
Romania 48.4 (34.9-62.7) 74.2 (53.5-88.2) 2004 46.5 M,S
Russian Federation 63.9 (52.8-72.9) 74.9 (60.1-85.3) 2011 72.4 M,S
Slovakia 67.0 (47.4-82.2) 79.2 (56.3-92.2) .. ..
Ukraine* 59.3 (47.1-70.0) 73.6 (58.1-85.1) 2012 68.0 M
Northern Europe 83.1 (75.2-87.1) 85.8 (74.8-91.1) .. ..
Denmark* 85.7 (69.7-93.7) 87.7 (66.8-95.7) .. ..
Estonia 73.1 (56.2-83.3) 80.3 (58.7-90.8) .. ..
Finland* 86.8 (76.1-91.2) 90.4 (80.2-94.5) .. ..
Ireland 84.7 (71.1-89.7) 87.7 (72.3-93.9) .. ..
Latvia 74.3 (55.7-85.5) 80.5 (57.3-92.0) .. ..
Lithuania 58.3 (43.2-70.6) 69.7 (48.9-83.9) .. ..
Norway* 86.1 (70.4-92.2) 88.6 (70.3-95.4) .. ..
Sweden 79.8 (62.5-88.9) 83.4 (61.7-93.3) .. ..
United Kingdom* 84.7 (75.3-89.7) 86.5 (72.0-93.3) .. ..
Southern Europe 59.2 (51.7-65.7) 72.3 (64.1-78.6) .. ..
Albania 16.7 (10.7-25.1) 9.3 (5.9-14.9) 2018 4.9
Bosnia and Herzegovina 22.4 (14.8-32.9) 37.3 (22.0-55.8) 2012 21.9 M
Croatia 39.6 (16.9-71.3) 61.4 (33.0-85.3) .. ..
Greece 45.0 (31.1-59.9) 63.5 (40.3-82.4) .. ..
Italy 54.3 (38.1-68.4) 72.0 (55.3-83.6) .. ..
Malta 59.4 (32.6-77.6) 73.0 (45.0-89.8) .. ..
Montenegro 38.2 (27.4-49.9) 42.5 (30.6-55.1) 2013 42.8
North Macedonia 21.8 (11.1-40.2) 38.8 (23.0-58.2) 2011 22.3 M
Portugal 70.3 (47.6-83.3) 77.6 (55.7-89.7) .. ..
Serbia* 40.8 (30.0-52.3) 54.8 (39.7-68.9) 2014 38.7 M
Slovenia 65.1 (45.3-80.8) 75.8 (52.8-90.0) .. ..
Spain* 78.2 (69.0-84.0) 83.5 (73.8-89.5) .. ..
37
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
Western Europe 86.2 (76.2-90.4) 90.0 (78.6-93.9) .. ..
Austria 81.2 (66.5-88.8) 88.0 (74.8-93.5) .. ..
Belgium 86.0 (74.6-91.7) 90.1 (74.8-94.9) .. ..
France* 88.8 (76.7-92.9) 91.0 (76.6-95.7) 2005 95.5 M
Germany 85.4 (71.6-91.6) 91.0 (74.8-96.2) .. ..
Netherlands* 87.3 (75.1-92.7) 88.6 (73.8-94.8) .. ..
Switzerland 87.5 (76.8-92.5) 88.9 (79.6-93.3) .. ..
LATIN AMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN
76.1 (73.5-78.2) 82.9 (79.3-85.6) .. ..
Caribbean 72.1 (68.1-75.3) 75.4 (70.9-79.1) .. ..
Anguilla* 63.1 (43.1-79.1) 72.9 (51.1-87.6) .. ..
Antigua and Barbuda 70.6 (50.6-84.8) 77.5 (55.4-90.6) .. ..
Bahamas 74.7 (54.2-87.4) 79.3 (57.8-91.6) .. ..
Barbados 71.4 (56.4-82.5) 75.2 (60.1-85.6) 2012 70.0 M
Cuba 83.8 (75.1-90.0) 89.1 (80.3-94.2) 2014 88.8 M
Dominica 72.6 (53.2-86.0) 78.2 (56.3-91.0) .. ..
Dominican Republic 79.2 (76.3-81.8) 83.5 (74.9-89.3) 2014 81.7
Grenada 67.9 (48.4-82.6) 75.7 (53.6-89.4) .. ..
Guadeloupe* 62.0 (39.8-80.0) 72.3 (47.8-87.8) .. ..
Haiti 34.4 (31.3-37.4) 49.1 (40.6-57.9) 2017 43.1
Jamaica 76.0 (62.1-83.7) 77.6 (59.7-88.3) 2009 79.2 M
Martinique* 65.3 (43.1-81.8) 74.0 (49.8-88.8) .. ..
Montserrat* 73.8 (52.3-87.4) 79.2 (56.7-91.7) .. ..
Puerto Rico* 78.6 (66.8-86.1) 82.1 (66.0-91.4) .. ..
Saint Kitts and Nevis 67.2 (44.3-83.9) 75.4 (50.6-89.9) .. ..
Saint Lucia 69.0 (53.2-81.0) 75.4 (59.3-86.2) 2012 72.4 M
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 74.8 (55.2-87.1) 79.5 (57.5-91.3) .. ..
Trinidad and Tobago 57.3 (46.0-66.5) 65.1 (49.0-77.9) 2011 58.2 M
United States Virgin Islands* 76.4 (59.8-86.7) 80.7 (62.1-91.2) .. ..
Central America 74.3 (69.3-78.4) 80.2 (75.3-84.2) .. ..
Belize 64.6 (54.3-73.5) 70.5 (57.8-80.7) 2016 65.9 M
Costa Rica 81.8 (72.6-87.4) 84.3 (73.3-90.6) 2011 89.1 M
El Salvador 75.8 (67.2-82.4) 81.1 (70.8-88.0) 2014 80.0 M,S
Guatemala 51.2 (44.3-58.3) 69.6 (58.6-78.7) 2015 66.1 M
38 World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
Honduras 65.5 (56.9-73.2) 78.2 (67.4-85.9) 2012 76.0 S
Mexico 76.2 (69.9-81.4) 81.4 (74.9-86.5) 2015 79.8 M
Nicaragua 77.2 (74.4-79.7) 88.1 (79.6-92.8) 2012 92.6 M
Panama 71.7 (59.0-81.4) 72.8 (60.9-82.1) 2013 73.3
South America 77.1 (73.9-79.8) 84.7 (79.8-88.1) .. ..
Argentina 76.6 (65.0-83.9) 83.6 (71.4-90.9) .. ..
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 37.5 (31.5-43.6) 58.3 (45.6-69.3) 2016 50.3 M
Brazil 82.8 (77.6-86.9) 88.8 (80.3-93.8) 2007 89.0 M
Chile 72.2 (58.0-82.2) 84.8 (74.4-90.9) .. ..
Colombia 74.4 (70.9-77.4) 86.8 (80.9-91.0) 2016 86.6
Ecuador 69.1 (60.9-76.1) 81.7 (70.1-89.1) 2012 79.4 M
Guyana 53.6 (44.7-62.5) 62.3 (47.7-74.7) 2014 51.5
Paraguay 67.2 (58.0-75.1) 81.2 (71.6-88.0) 2016 78.9 S
Peru 57.9 (52.5-62.5) 69.1 (59.9-76.4) 2017 66.6 M
Suriname 65.1 (54.1-75.0) 67.1 (55.5-77.2) 2010 73.2 M
Uruguay 83.5 (72.7-90.1) 86.5 (74.6-93.1) .. ..
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 74.4 (65.1-81.1) 82.0 (67.8-90.7) .. ..
NORTHERN AMERICA 81.4 (69.4-87.7) 83.3 (70.1-89.8) .. ..
Canada 89.7 (80.9-93.6) 90.9 (77.0-95.9) .. ..
United States of America* 80.4 (67.6-87.4) 82.5 (68.1-89.6) 2015 77.2 M,S
OCEANIA 77.4 (66.7-82.3) 77.9 (67.3-83.1) .. ..
Australia and New Zealand 84.5 (71.3-90.0) 85.2 (71.4-91.2) .. ..
Australia* 84.5 (70.2-90.5) 85.0 (69.9-91.5) .. ..
New Zealand* 85.7 (71.3-91.9) 87.7 (72.3-93.8) .. ..
Melanesia 41.5 (33.0-50.4) 51.8 (44.3-59.0) .. ..
Fiji 58.2 (33.3-79.1) 64.4 (34.5-85.0) .. ..
Papua New Guinea 37.9 (28.7-48.2) 50.2 (41.9-58.3) 2007 40.6 M
Solomon Islands 53.7 (39.0-66.0) 53.6 (39.1-65.9) 2015 38.0 M
Vanuatu 48.3 (35.5-60.8) 60.2 (44.2-73.6) 2013 50.7 M
Micronesia 62.6 (50.3-71.2) 64.6 (51.0-74.9) .. ..
Guam* 69.9 (49.8-81.4) 74.4 (50.9-88.0) .. ..
Kiribati 50.4 (36.6-61.0) 43.5 (26.9-60.2) 2009 35.8 M
Marshall Islands 65.2 (50.1-76.5) 72.2 (52.9-85.4) 2007 80.5 M
Nauru 48.0 (31.3-65.0) 56.6 (35.7-74.7) 2007 42.5 M
Palau 55.8 (36.9-73.8) 64.5 (39.0-82.9) .. ..
39
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Aairs, Population Division
Region, development group, country
or area
Proportion of women aged 15-49 who have their need for family planning
satised by modern contraceptive methods (per cent), SDG indicator 3.7.1
2000 2020 Year of
latest
survey
observation
Survey
estimate NoteMedian
95%
uncertainty
interval Median
95%
uncertainty
interval
Polynesia* 40.3 (32.6-48.4) 45.4 (36.1-55.5) .. ..
Cook Islands* 72.0 (54.6-81.3) 74.9 (54.0-88.2) .. ..
Samoa 33.8 (25.1-44.0) 38.2 (25.4-53.1) 2014 39.4 M
Tonga 44.2 (27.8-61.7) 51.3 (36.1-66.3) 2012 47.9 M
Tuvalu 39.5 (25.6-55.0) 47.0 (28.1-67.0) 2007 41.0 M
* For country notes, please refer to https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Metadata/Documentation
M. e global indicator represents all women of reproductive age. is survey estimate represents women who were married or
in a union when the data were collected.
S Data pertain to a non-standard age or marital status group.
P. Preliminary data.
World Family Planning 2020 Highlights presents regional and global estimates of
the contraceptive use and needs for women of reproductive age (15-49 years)
between 1990 and 2020 with projections until 2030. This report assesses trends
and inequalities in contraceptive use, regional dierences in method choice,
the contraceptive needs of young women and adolescents age (15-19 years)
and the eects of population growth on past and future changes in the number
of contraceptive users. It also evaluates the progress made in increasing the
proportion of women who use modern contraceptive methods to avoid pregnancy,
illustrates how family planning can aid in achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals and provides policy recommendations for addressing the reproductive
health and family planning needs of women and couples.
ISBN 978-92-1-148348-2
