International definition

Women with unmet need are those who are fecund and sexually active but are not using any method of contraception, and report not wanting any more children or wanting to delay the next child.

Calculation of estimates for MDG monitoring

Unmet need for family planning is calculated by a ratio. The numerator is the sum of:

-  number of women (married or in consensual union) who are pregnant or amenorrheic and whose pregnancies were unwanted or mistimed

-  number of fecund women who desire to either stop childbearing or postpone their next birth for at least two years, or who are undecided about whether or when to have another child, and who are not using a contraceptive method.

The denominator is total number of women of reproductive age (15-49) who are married or in consensual union.

Unmet need for family planning is expressed as a percentage of the total number of women of reproductive age (15-49) who are married or in consensual union.

Process used by international agencies for obtaining data from national sources

Data is gathered in special surveys that include specific data on marriage status, fecundity and contraception, and fertility preferences. The data are taken from published survey reports or, in exceptional cases, other published analytic reports. If clarification is needed, contact is made with the survey sponsors or authoring organization, which occasionally may supply corrected or adjusted estimates in response.

National data sources

Demographic and Health Surveys, Reproductive Health Surveys, and national surveys based on similar methodologies.

Explanation of most common discrepancies between national and international coverage estimates

1)  Some national level data use a different concept of unmet need

Comparison of national and international data

National data Data available at UNICEF

Year / Data / Data source / Discrepancies? Causes? / Data sources / Data / Year
1990 / FOLLOW UP:
UNPD would like to receive feedback on the RHS data; the NSO will enquire if that data are used at the country level / 1990
1991 / 1991
1992 / 1992
1993 / 1993
1994 / 1994
1995 / 1995
1996 / 5.9 / Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Contraceptive Survey / 1996
1997 / 1997
1998 / 1998
1999 / 1999
2000 / 2000
2001 / 1.2 / Chayovan, Napaporn et al. Economic Crisis, Demographic Dynamics and Family in Thailand. College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, 2003. / 2001
2002 / 2002
2003 / 2003
2004 / 2004
2005 / 2005
2006 / Data pertain to women who are married and not using contraception because of concerns about method safety, accessibility or cost of services or who did not state a reason for non-use / 3.1 / 2006
2007 / 2007
2008 / 2008
2009 / 2009
2010 / 2010

National definition

Other data on file at UNICEF but not taken into account for MDG monitoring

Data source / Reason for exclusion for MDG monitoring

Data used at national level but not included in the MDG monitoring by UNICEF

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How to submit missing or new survey or census data for international monitoring to UNICEF?

Data from new nationally representative household surveys and censuses, as well as from nationally representative surveys not listed in this document can be sent to: Ann Biddlecom, UN Population Division, e-mail: .

Remarks

If there are any errors or omissions in this document, thank you for returning a corrected copy of this file by email to: and .

Workshop on MDG Monitoring: 2015 and beyond, Bangkok, 9-13 July 2012