governments in countries provided only indirect support for family planning through the private sector or nongovernmental organizations the remaining governments did not support family planning including the holy see which did not allow family planning programmes or services within its jurisdiction by contrast the percentage of governments in developed regions providing direct support for family planning declined from per cent in to per cent in but then increased to per cent in thus governments in developing regions were more than twice as likely as those in developed regions to provide direct support for family planning in