What Do We Know About Family Planning in Jordan, and What Needs to Be Done?
Fact 1: The use of modern family planning methods has declined over the past decade, while the use of traditional methods has increased.
Fact 2: Jordan ranks among the Arab countries with the highest reliance on traditional family planning methods. These methods often do not adequately meet couples’ reproductive intentions and needs, as they are associated with relatively high failure rates when used over time.
Fact 3: Findings from the latest Family Health Survey indicate that approximately one-third of married couples in Jordan with wives of reproductive age, have a need for modern family planning methods to achieve their reproductive goals. This represents an estimated half a million households.
Fact 4: Results from the three most recent Population and Family Health Survey show that approximately three-quarters of married women who were not using family planning methods had not received family planning counselling during visits to a health facility within the previous 12 months. This may be attributed to the absence of a structured appointment system for maternal health services, resulting in overcrowding at service delivery sites during morning hours and limiting opportunities for counselling between mothers and maternal care providers.
Why Are Family Planning Methods Used?
Modern family planning methods help couples achieve three key reproductive goals: (a) delaying the first birth until newly married couples feel that their circumstances are suitable for starting a family; (b) spacing births for various reasons identified by couples and healthcare providers to allow adequate preparation for a subsequent child; and (c) limiting further childbearing after achieving the desired family size or avoiding health risks to the mother, based on medical advice.
However, is there an unmet need for family planning among couples? Unmet need for modern family planning refers to the proportion of married women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who wish to stop childbearing or postpone their next birth for at least two years, but who are not using any modern method that would enable them to achieve this intention.
Data from the Civil Status and Passports Department indicates that approximately 3.3 million births were registered between 2010 and 2025, with an annual average exceeding 200,000 births. Findings from the latest Population and Family Health Survey conducted by the Department of Statistics further show that 27% of births were shortly spaced, i.e. born within less than two years of their siblings, while nearly one-fifth were unintended.
What Needs to Be Done, and Why?
The Higher Population Council believes that primary healthcare providers can play a significant role in helping couples meet their reproductive intentions by taking advantage of opportunities to engage with women while they are attending health facilities, listening to their reproductive preferences, and responding to their needs. Such opportunities arise frequently, including during the final month of pregnancy, before mothers are discharged from maternity wards, during routine child immunization visits, and through follow-up telephone contacts with mothers after returning home following childbirth.
The National Policy for Early Childhood Development and Care, issued by the National Council for Family Affairs in 2026, defines early childhood as the period extending from pregnancy through the age of five years. Promoting child health therefore begins during pregnancy, making family planning and healthy birth spacing essential components of ensuring the best possible start in life for every child. Empowering families begins with planning and timing pregnancies appropriately. Reducing unintended and high-risk pregnancies contributes to improved maternal and child health outcomes, enhances opportunities for breastfeeding, nurturing care, and healthy child development, and strengthens families’ capacity to provide the care and support children need from the very beginning of life.
