State of the Word Population Report 2022

HALF.

That is the alarmingly high proportion of pregnancies that girls and women do not deliberately choose.

The 2022 State of World Population report shows that today, in countries where data are available, nearly a quarter of all women are unable to say no to sex. Nearly a quarter are unable to make decisions about their own health care. Nearly 10 per cent are unable to make decisions about contraception.

Is it any wonder then, that of all pregnancies in the world, nearly half are unintended?

For the women affected, the most life-altering reproductive choice – whether or not to become pregnant – is no choice at all.

No country is spared. Unintended pregnancies take place in alarming numbers in Turkey, too.

This is an unseen crisis unfolding right before our eyes.

Many people will say this is not an emergency. They will say this has always been the case. Why are we alarmed? Why care now?

The answer is that it has always been a crisis, but it has been hidden, trivialized as “a women’s concern” or “a private matter”.

Today, we are calling on the world to recognize that unintended pregnancy is:

A personal issue, one that robs women of their most life-altering reproductive choice.

And it is a health issue, one that drives up unsafe abortions, which is one of the leading causes of maternal death globally.

It is a human rights issue – both causing and resulting from gender discrimination and inequality.

It is a humanitarian issue. We know that women in conflict zones and refugee camps face a high risk of unintended pregnancy, including sexual violence.

It is a development issue. While every country has unacceptably high rates of unintended pregnancy, we see strong correlations between rates of unintended pregnancy and lack of development.