Investing in the future : a report on the cost of family planning in the year 2000

The number of married women of reproductive age would increase from 490 million to 654 million, with the largest absolute increase in Asia, and the largest relative increase in Sub-Saharan Africa. To reach these projections, the total fertility rate (TFR) in developing countries must decline from 4.8 to 3.9, or about one child per woman. This report estimates the costs of public and PVO family planning programs and related population services needed to effect this reduction in TFR in Asia (excluding China), Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Near East. Bongaarts" TARGET computer model is used to calculate the number of couples who must use contraception to reach the target TFR. Findings are that the total cost would be approximately $2.6 billion in the year 2000. This figure is considerably lower than previous projections, but still represents a nearly 60% increase over current estimated levels of spending on family planning. Projections indicate that the largest percentage increases in cost would be in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Near East, regions where contraceptive use will likely increase the most. The largest absolute increase in costs will be in Asia, the region with the largest number of people and the largest predicted increase in population.