Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...

TableTable8Percentage of <strong>the</strong> total dem<strong>and</strong> for family plann<strong>in</strong>g that is satisfied <strong>in</strong> selected <strong>Pacific</strong> isl<strong>and</strong>countries, by socio-economic characteristics (currently married women)*Variable Tuvalu 2007 Nauru 2007MarshallIsl<strong>and</strong>s 2007SolomonIsl<strong>and</strong>s 2007Samoa2009Kiribati2008Papua NewGu<strong>in</strong>ea 2006Age group15-19 -- -- 43.0 56.6 -- 5.0 37.020-24 46.3 42.5 68.8 62.9 35.2 37.6 44.225-29 54.7 51.6 81.7 62.8 37.4 47.0 41.830-34 49.8 62.7 86.4 71.0 45.4 45.3 41.435-39 61.2 68.7 95.4 84.0 42.7 51.8 36.240-44 62.0 -- 97.6 94.6 41.4 46.9 29.445-49 58.8 -- 100.0 98.5 30.7 41.5 16.315-49 55.8 60.3 84.6 75.6 38.6 44.2 36.5ResidenceUrban 54.5 na 85.4 78.1 39.9 38.0 42.8Rural 56.8 na 83.4 75.3 38.4 50.0 35.7EducationNo education na na -- 71.0 Na 100.0 23.9Primary or less 62.2 na 84.8 75.7 27.2 49.4 37.2Secondary 50.1 61.0 85.1 75.9 39.5 41.1 39.7More than secondary+57.7 -- 81.8 93.8 39.5 39.3 54.0WealthQu<strong>in</strong>tile 1 (highest) 56.9 57.1 87.7 84.6 46.1 40.2 naQu<strong>in</strong>tile 2 50.4 67.2 91.1 79.2 35.8 34.7 naQu<strong>in</strong>tile 3 55.5 49.9 82.8 70.3 37.7 43.0 naQu<strong>in</strong>tile 4 61.9 65.3 80.0 75.6 36.1 46.0 naQu<strong>in</strong>tile 5 (lowest) 53.0 64.1 75.4 70.0 37.6 57.0 naSource: DHS reports for specified countries.Note: -- means number <strong>in</strong> sample too small.*In Papua New Gu<strong>in</strong>ea, women who want more children are excluded from <strong>the</strong> calculation.Unmet need <strong>and</strong> socio-economicfactors at <strong>the</strong> microlevelIn <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong>, unmet need by country among marriedwomen ranges from 7.7 per cent <strong>in</strong> Solomon Isl<strong>and</strong>s to45.6 per cent <strong>in</strong> Samoa (Table 7). Marshall Isl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong>Solomon Isl<strong>and</strong>s seem to be <strong>in</strong> a group of <strong>the</strong>ir own,with much lower levels of unmet need (8.1 <strong>and</strong> 7.7%,respectively) compared with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r countries. As alreadynoted, Solomon Isl<strong>and</strong>s has a low level of unmet needbecause fertility preferences rema<strong>in</strong> high. This may alsobe <strong>the</strong> case <strong>in</strong> Marshall Isl<strong>and</strong>s, although that country hasone of <strong>the</strong> highest CPRs <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region (42.4%). SolomonIsl<strong>and</strong>s has <strong>the</strong> highest TFR <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region but <strong>the</strong> lowestlevel of unmet need.Patterns of unmet need by age vary widely betweencountries. For several countries (Kiribati, Nauru <strong>and</strong>Samoa) <strong>the</strong>re are <strong>in</strong>sufficient married women aged 15-19<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> sample to provide a valid measure of unmet need. InKiribati, Marshall Isl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> Solomon Isl<strong>and</strong>s, this agegroup has <strong>the</strong> highest rate of unmet need. In <strong>the</strong> countrieswith low unmet need, <strong>the</strong> highest levels are found <strong>in</strong>younger age groups <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> lowest <strong>in</strong> older age groups.In Kiribati, Papua New Gu<strong>in</strong>ea, Samoa <strong>and</strong> Tuvalu <strong>the</strong>differences between age groups is not large. In Papua NewGu<strong>in</strong>ea <strong>and</strong> Samoa, <strong>the</strong> highest levels of unmet need are <strong>in</strong><strong>the</strong> 45-49 age group.A surpris<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Table 7 is that unmet need is similar<strong>in</strong> urban <strong>and</strong> rural areas with<strong>in</strong> countries. Although unmetneed is slightly higher <strong>in</strong> rural areas <strong>in</strong> four countries, <strong>the</strong>differences are small. In Kiribati <strong>and</strong> Tuvalu unmet need ishigher <strong>in</strong> urban than rural areas. The relationship betweeneducation <strong>and</strong> unmet need is also quite different <strong>in</strong> eachcountry. The highest levels of unmet need are among88