Fewer women on the pill

Nearly 7 in 10 women aged between 18 and 45 used contraceptives last year; 40 percent took the oral contraceptive pill, as against nearly 50 percent in 1998.

Contraceptive method, 18 to 45-year-old women

Pill most popular contraceptive method

Last year, 40 percent of fertile women aged between 18 and 45 took the pill and another 10 percent have undergone sterilisation or have a sterilised partner. Condoms are used by 9 percent of women, 8 percent use IUDs (intra-uterine devices).

Between 1998 and 2008, the pill has become less popular, predominantly among 25 to 39-year-olds. One of the reasons is that women become pregnant later in life.

Two thirds of young women take the pill

Contraceptive pill use is still high among 18 to 24-year-old women. Last year, two thirds of women in the age category 18-24 took the pill.

(Partner) sterilisation by period of birth, 18 to 45-year-old women

Fewer sterilisations

Sterilisation is usually performed at a higher age. This pattern is also induced by the fact that nowadays women are older when they become pregnant. Sterilisation is very rare in young women. One third of 54 to 59-year-old women have been sterilised or have a sterilised partner.

7 percent have desire to have children

About 30 percent of women of childbearing age do not use contraceptives; 7 percent were pregnant or had the wish to become pregnant, 9 percent were infertile and 15 percent had other reasons for not using contraceptives.

Arie de Graaf