INTrOOucTOtN XxU _: ;ez g. :4 Conraceptive Prewdence Level and Trends_ Dt oa contacpdon ame fidy extsivo. Surveys such **_s_ the** World **FUility** ftrv in hew I9 **and** ealy 1980., the Conftaoepdve Prvalec Srveys, and the Demov l **ad** Hah Surveys from the _w;,'_ 980, have<sup>moered the proportion of</sup> cos usg coontepdon. Out of 181 oouanziw,<sup>126 hv</sup><sup>_had_at es two surveys.</sup> Trohrfor, may of the country table show<sup>two estmate of the concepive prevalence</sup> re (CPR), Howevr, trends should be intpmsd<sup>with caution,</sup><sup>**as**snmpling, coverge,</sup> ad defitions usd in the surveys may be different.<sup>Fetility rtes sugest that nany</sup> colsa widwout aontaeptive use data glenly have low prclenoe. In particular ountrie witout dta, however, both contwreve<sup>us and fertility oe</sup><sup>_low,_</sup><sup>**and**abortion is</sup> used to prevent births (e.g., in the U.S.S.R.<sup>_and_the German Democratic Republic).</sup> Co4tmeptive prevalnce is highest in developed outre, whew 700 peoret of _mad_ coup&w us _some_ method. Method mix in thee<sup>ad other counr</sup> with Upg prvalnc vies a grt dal: in Eastern Europe, couph use tradidon methods such u wifdtal **and** abstnenc; in the Ntherlands, over half of all wcupl<sup>uwe conracedve</sup> pO;: in Canad, feme stbrilizaton is dte most<sup>common ma thod; in</sup><sup>_Cuba,_the IUD is the</sup> _mt._ pevaln metod4; ix Finland, condoms ar rlid on most. Tb. higs conooteptve prevaeanc ra In Sub,Sham Afra ar 43 percent fr Zim In 196S, and 30 prcent for Botwaa in 99. Por<sup>most oher coun</sup> in the region, uontraptive pevance is below 5 poeret<sup>Seval couniea in Asia</sup><sup>**and**the</sup> **Middl st** have sa miy low levels of prevalenc. The method mlx in low coceptive **prevalence** coune shows as much variety as that in high prevaene counte. In Asia, RIDeare widely used, but couple in India rely moniy<sup>on female seilizao.</sup> In Lati Amaei ad the Caribbean, fale eilizaon W an importat method, but not in Chile, where the IUD is most popular. Over time, a few countries<sup>with low or ln,nmediat CPRs</sup> bow decliinW use: Hgiti, Fii, Guatemala, and Guya. The majoriy sbow inces. Ovenll, contraceptive pill use has beow declining,<sup>whereas all other metbods--IU=s and</sup> fhmale stelizatn in particular--have been gaining.

Levels and projected trends in crude birth rates are a<sup>result of the assumptions about the</sup> trend in total fertility rates in combination with assumptions<sup>about age structure. The current crude</sup> birth rate for the world is 26.3 and the projected<sup>rate for 2025 is 18.0. Tne crude birth rate in less</sup> developed countries, currently more than twice as<sup>high as in more developed countries, is projected</sup> to decline by 36 percent by 2025, % .ile the rate for<sup>more developed countries drops only 15 percent.</sup> The diffeetial between more developed country<sup>and less developed cointry crude birth rtes is</sup> expected to decline from 16 per thousand in 1985-90<sup>to 8 per thousand by 2020-25.</sup> Unlike total fertfility, the crude birth rate will decline<sup>in every region without exception.</sup> These declines will be larger where the rate is now<sup>higher. From 45 per thousand in Africa, it will</sup> fall to 26 per thousand in 2025-30. From 15 per<sup>thousand in Europe, it will fall to 12 per thousand</sup> in 2025-30. Wherea the African crude birth rate is<sup>now three times the European rate, by 2025-30</sup> it will be about double the European rate.