Short-term benefits and costs of U.S. family planning programs, 1970-1975

Between 1969 and 1975, the U.S. family planning program helped its patients avert 1.1 million unwanted and mistimed births. These averted births resulted in short-term savings to the government for health and social welfare services of $1.1 billion, compared to a federal investment in family planning of $584 million--a benefit/cost ratio of $1.80 for every federal dollar invested.