Family Planning Use Slips in Delhi, Unmet Need Grows, NFHS‑6 Shows

Delhi’s family‑planning landscape has taken a turn for the worse, according to the sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS‑6). The once‑steady rise in contraceptive use appears to have stalled – modern method use fell to about 56 % of women aged 15‑49, down from roughly 61 % recorded five years earlier.

It isn’t just the high‑tech methods that are slipping. Reliance on traditional options such as rhythm or withdrawal also dipped, moving from 7 % to just under 5 % in the same period. In other words, fewer women are using any method at all.

That shortfall shows up starkly in the “unmet need” numbers. Women who want to avoid pregnancy but aren’t using any contraception rose from 7 % to a worrying 12 %. Put plainly, one in eight women now faces a gap in services that used to be much smaller.

Experts point to a mix of factors. The COVID‑19 pandemic, for instance, disrupted routine health‑care visits and hampered outreach by frontline workers. At the same time, budget constraints and a shift toward private‑sector provision have left some low‑income neighborhoods underserved. “When you can’t get a safe, affordable method nearby, you either go without or revert to less reliable options,” says a public‑health researcher familiar with the data.

Policy makers are taking note. The Delhi health department has pledged to boost supply chains for condoms and oral contraceptives, and to reinvigorate community‑based counseling. Still, the numbers serve as a reminder that progress in reproductive health isn’t automatic – it needs constant attention, especially after a global crisis.

In short, the NFHS‑6 figures paint a sobering picture: declining contraceptive use paired with a rising unmet need, underscoring the urgency for renewed investment in family‑planning services across the capital.