Unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age in Colombia
Colombia: Unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age was 7.0% in 2015. ▼ Falling
Unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age in Colombia, 1986–2015
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of married women ages 15-49.
Analysis
Colombia recorded 7.0% for unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of down 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age in Colombia peaked at 13.7% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 7.0%, in 2015.
Colombia ranks 55th of 58 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age in Colombia, year by year
| Year | % of married women ages 15-49 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 13.5% | — |
| 1990 | 13.7% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 11.4% | -16.8% |
| 2000 | 10.0% | -12.3% |
| 2005 | 8.6% | -14.0% |
| 2010 | 8.0% | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | -12.5% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 7.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 11.2%, 62% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 7.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.1%, 58% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.5% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 12.6% | 11.4% | 13.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.3% | 8.6% | 10.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 7.0% | 8.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More gender data for Colombia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 10,499 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.3937 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 45,238 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 45,238 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 339,895 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 354,522 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 343,649 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 358,222 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 346,714 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age in Colombia?
- Unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age in Colombia was 7.0% in 2015, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 1990.
- What is the lowest unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.0% in 2015.
- How does Colombia rank for unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age?
- Colombia ranks 55th out of 58 countries with data for 2015.
- Is unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unmet need for contraception among married women of reproductive age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Fertile, married women of reproductive age (ages 15-49) who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.