Glossary of Family Planning Indicators

Contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR)

Proportion of women ages 15–49 who are using (or whose partners are using) any contraceptive method at the time of the survey

Modern method use (mCPR)

Proportion of women ages 15–49 who are using (or whose partners are using) a modern method of contraception, which includes hormonal and barrier methods, sterilization, emergency contraception, lactational amenorrhea method (LAM), and the standard days/cycle beads method

Long acting CPR

Proportion of women ages 15-49 using a long-acting contraceptive method, which includes an IUD, implant, and sterilization (male and female)

Total number of modern contraceptive users

A count of the number of females ages 15–49 who are current users of modern methods of contraception

Unmet need

Percentage of fertile, sexually active women ages 15–49 who are not using contraception and do not wish to become pregnant at all (unmet need for limiting) or within the next two years (unmet need for ​spacing)

Demand satisfied by modern contraception

Percentage of women ages 15–49 who do not want to get pregnant who are using modern contraception

Total fertility rate

Number of children who would be born to a woman if she were to pass through her reproductive years bearing children according to the current schedule of age-specific fertility rates (ASFR)

Adolescent fertility rate

Age-specific fertility rates for women age 15-19

Intention to use contraception

Percentage of women not currently using a method of contraception who intend to use a method in the future*

Unintended births

Percentage of births in the past 5 years to females ages 15–49 that are reported to be mistimed (wanted later) or unwanted

Method mix

Composition of current methods used by women ages 15–49

Method chosen by self or jointly

Percentage of women ages 15–49 currently using a modern contraceptive method, reporting they decided on method themselves or jointly with a partner or provider

Obtained method of choice

Percentage of women ages 15–49 currently using a modern contraceptive method, reporting they obtained their contraceptive method of choice 

Method information index

Percentage of recent/current users reporting they were informed about other methods and side effects, and if informed of side effects, what to do*

Paid for services

Percentage of women ages 15–49 currently using a modern contraceptive method reporting they paid for family planning services in the past 12 months

Satisfaction with provider

Percentage of women ages 15–49 currently using a modern contraceptive method who would return to their provider and would refer a relative or friend to that provider

Received method from public SDP

Percentage of women ages 15–49 currently using a modern contraceptive method who obtained their contraceptive method from a public service delivery point

Sterilized users told method was permanent

Percentage of sterilized users counseled on method

Reasons for non-use

Reasons for non-use of contraceptive methods among married women who express a desire to postpone their next birth by two or more years

Age at first marriage 

Median age at first marriage for women ages 25-49 

Age at first sex

Median age at first sex for women ages 15-49

Age at first contraceptive use

Median age at first contraceptive use for female ever users ages 15-49

Number of living children at first contraceptive use

Average number of living children at first contraceptive use among women ages 15-49 who have ever used contraception

Women having first birth by age 18

Percentage of all women ages 18-24 who had their first birth before age 18

Received family planning information from provider

Percentage of women ages 15-49 reporting they received family planning information from a provider at a facility or in their home in the past 12 months​

Recent exposure to mass media family planning messages

Percentage of women ages 15-49 reporting exposure to family planning messages on radio, television or in print in the past few months