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close this bookThe Value of Family Planning Programs in Developing Countries (RAND, 1998, 98 p.)
close this folderChapter Four - THE COST OF FAMILY PLANNING
View the document(introduction...)
View the documentPublic Expenditures
View the documentGovernment Involvement
View the documentDonor Commitments
View the documentContinuing Challenges

(introduction...)

Expenditures on family planning across all developing countries are under US$10 billion, much of it paid by national governments or individual households. Equivalent to around US$1-2 per person per year, this is not large by many standards. Family planning is a cheap way to reduce fertility, although other approaches are also worth pursuing simultaneously. Governments have several good reasons to support family planning programs, for the benefits they provide users and the society as a whole. Donor countries also have a stake in moderating global population growth, with its threats to the environment, to economic progress, and to political stability in many critical regions. Although they do not cover the bulk of the costs, donor contributions have been critical in the past and continue to be indispensable.