Trends and differentials of dramatic rise in family planning adoption in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has been characterized by high population growth. In the past decade, there have been rapid social changes that could alter the reproductive trajectories of the population. Among these, expansion of almost universal primary health care, economic growth, urbanization, and increased access to education are notable. This study aims to examine trends in family planning use among married young women in Ethiopia in the past decade. I found a marked rise in contraceptive use that is far higher than the national average of 27% in 2011 among select groups of women. Young women living in urban areas (58.4%) and those with education beyond primary school (60.5%) show the largest increases in contraceptive use since 2000 and 2005. In general, all women, including those living in rural areas, and with no education, have more than doubled their adoption of modern contraceptive use. The general trend shows that contraceptive use has continued to more than double in the two halves of the decade covered by this study. Urban residence is the strongest predictor of adoption of a modern family planning method. The impact of women’s education is dependent on whether a woman lives in rural or urban areas, the later having a more positive influence. With increasing socioeconomic improvements and urbanization, fertility rates will continue to decline in Ethiopia. This is likely to slow the population growth rate in the long ran.