Trends in population and contraception

There has been an explosion in contraceptive use in the past 30 years. In 1960-65, the level of contraceptive use in the developing countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa represented about 9% of married couples of reproductive age. In the 1990s use of contraception in developing countries comprises over 50% of couples and contraceptive prevalence is increasing each year. Total fertility rates for the developing world have already fallen from over 6, where they were in 1960 to about 4, halfway toward the replacement level of 2.1. The United Nations projects that during this decade, over 90 million people will be added each year to world population. If this projection is not to be exceeded, prodigious supplies of contraceptives will have to be available at affordable cost to the people of developing countries, where 94% of this population increase will occur. New technology alone will not guarantee this success, but it would help ensure that people are able to meet their fertility objectives.