The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is designed to provide data useful for monitoring the population and health situation in the country. Conducted every 5 years by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), NDHS aims to provide up-to-date information on fertility, family planning, and maternal & child health. The survey also provides useful inputs to policy formulation and monitoring of activities, researches and programs on health.

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate of the Philippines is 54.3%

• The Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) refers to the proportion of currently married women in the reproductive ages of 15-49 years reporting current use of any contraceptive method.
• In 2017, NDHS revealed that the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) among currently married women in the Philippines was 54.3 percent. This increased by 11 percentage points from the 48.9 percent CPR recorded in 2003.

Figure 1.  Contraceptive Prevalence Rate of the Philippines: 2003 – 2017
(in Percent)

Contraceptive Use by Region

• Regions with high contraceptive prevalence rate were Region II, Cagayan Valley at 62 percent, Region XI, Davao at 62.6 percent, followed by Region 1, Ilocos at 60.1 percent.
• The regions recorded with the lowest contraceptive use were ARMM at 26.3 percent, Region IX Zamboanga Peninsula at 49.5 percent, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at 50.0 percent

Figure 2. Top 3 Regions with Highest and Lowest CPR:2017

Table 1. Contraceptive Prevalence Rate Region:2017

Trends in Contraceptive Use in Cordillera

• The contraceptive use in CAR slightly increased by 7.9 percentage points from 46.3 percent in 2003 to 50.0 percent in 2017. However, contraceptive use decreased from 61.2 percent in 2013 to 2017.
• The use of modern methods of contraceptives which include female sterilization, IUD, injectables, implants, pill, male condom, standard days method (SDM), and LAM was at 43.5 percent in 2017. This increased by 37.8 percentage points from 31.8 percentage recorded in 2003. But, there was a slight decrease from the 44.0 percent recorded in 2013.
• Meanwhile, the use of traditional methods of contraceptives which include calendar, withdrawal, and folk method was at 6.5 percent in 2017. This decreased by 55.1 percentage points from 14.5 percent in 2003 and decreased by 62 percentage points from 17.2 percent in 2013.