Donor Government Support for Family Planning Rose 6% in 2017, but Remains below 2014 Peak

A new KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) analysis finds that donor government support for global family planning efforts totaled US$1.27 billion in 2017, up 6 percent from 2016 but still below its 2014 peak.

Funding from the United States, the world’s largest donor, declined from US$532.7 in 2016 to US$488.7 million in 2017, largely due to a delay in the disbursement of funds. U.S. appropriations have been holding steady in recent years.

Increases in other countries offset the U.S. lag. Among the 10 largest donor governments, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom increased their contributions between 2016 and 2017.  Australia and Germany reported flat funding, while France and Norway, along with the U.S., reported declines.

Collectively, these 10 governments account for 98 percent of the total international assistance for family planning services in low- to middle-income countries. These services includes counselling; information, education and communication activities; delivery of contraceptives; capacity building; and training.

The analysis is being released in conjunction with the annual report from Family Planning 2020, a global partnership to monitor progress toward the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning goals to expand services to an additional 120 million women and girls in developing countries by 2020.