Family Planning

The Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development affirmed the basic right of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information, education and means to do so. Information about contraceptive use and the demand for family planning are key to understanding fertility levels and trends. The Population Division monitors progress in ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, as called for in the Sustainable Development Goals. Various methodological and technical improvements in this work have been supported by a grant from the Gates Foundation, as part of the Making Family Planning Count initiative. The Division produces global data sets and analytical studies on contraceptive use and family planning on a regular basis.