Incidence of unintended pregnancies worldwide in 2012 and trends since 1995

Unintended pregnancies often have negative effects on the well-being of women and families, and periodic estimation of global unintended pregnancy incidence can help evaluate the actual and potential impact of family planning programs. We estimate pregnancy rates and the distribution of pregnancies by intention status and outcome at worldwide, regional and subregional levels in 2012, and assess recent trends in these events using previously published estimates for 2008 and 1995. Numbers of births are based on United Nations estimates. Published estimates of recent trends in induced abortion rates were used to make estimates for 2012. A model-based approach was used to estimate miscarriages. The planning status of births was estimated using nationally representative surveys in 86 countries. Preliminary findings indicate that 211 million pregnancies occurred in 2012, up from 208 million in 2008. The overall and unintended pregnancy rates were 132 and 55 per 1,000 women aged 15-44, respectively, in 2012 and reflect virtually no change since 2008. The highest overall and unintended pregnancy rates are in Middle and Eastern Africa, and the lowest rates are in Southern, Western and Northern Europe. Pregnancy rates have declined in parts of Africa and increased in parts of Europe. Some 87 million pregnancies, representing 41% of all pregnancies, were unintended in 2012.