How Much Would It Cost to Meet the Unmet Need for Contraception?

Earlier this week, the Guttmacher Institute and UNFPA published a new study that estimates the number of women with an unmet need for contraception to be 222 million in 2012, a slight decrease from 2008. 645 million women in the developing world are using modern contraceptive methods, but in the poorest countries, the unmet need actually increased from 2008-2012.

In order to meet the unmet need, funding for contraceptives (supplies, program costs, logistical costs, etc.) would, according to the report, need to be doubled:

Clearly, closing funding gaps is essential if the necessary multifaceted improvements in contraceptive service provision are to be achieved. This report provides updated estimates of the level of funding that is needed to both improve services for current users and adequately meet the needs of all women who currently need but are not using modern contraceptives. In 2012, the cost of providing contraceptive services and supplies to the 645 million women who are currently using modern methods in the developing world is an estimated $4.0 billion. Providing adequate services for all 867 million women in developing countries who want to avoid a pregnancy in 2012 (both current users and nonusers of modern methods)—a task requiring substantial investment to expand capacity and improve quality of care—would cost $8.1 billion.

Read the full report here.