An urgent scarcity of contraceptives has impacted the nation, with more than a third of the 487 upazilas reporting depletion of all government-supplied contraceptive types. This shortage raises concerns about a potential increase in unintended pregnancies. The ongoing supply crisis, prevalent since 2020, has escalated significantly, with condoms, the most commonly used contraceptive, out of stock in 397 upazilas according to data from the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP).
The DGFP distributes five types of contraceptives – condoms, oral pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), injectables, and implants – free of charge through its field workers nationwide. Recent data as of February 22 reveals that at least 220 upazilas have exhausted their oral pill supplies, while implants are unavailable in all upazilas, IUDs in 353 upazilas, and injectables in 169 upazilas.
Over the past year, the supply of contraceptives has seen a steady decline. For instance, condom distribution dropped to 7.49 lakh in January this year from 53.31 lakh in January last year, marking a significant decline of over 85 percent. Health and family planning experts caution that this crisis could have grave implications for fertility control, especially as the country has witnessed an increase in the total fertility rate (TFR) for the first time in five decades.
Mohammad Mainul Islam, a professor at Dhaka University’s Population Science Department, highlighted that the decrease in contraceptive use and the rise in TFR signal deficiencies in the family planning program at the grassroots level. He emphasized that the contraceptive supply disruption would disproportionately impact lower-income individuals who cannot afford contraceptives from the market, potentially leading to a surge in unplanned pregnancies.
Officials from the DGFP mentioned that a significant project to procure all contraceptive types, approved in November last year, is still in its initial stages and is expected to take at least four months to complete. As an interim measure, DGFP is making emergency procurements of condoms and oral pills to alleviate the crisis, although it may not fully restore normal supply levels.
The recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025, published in November last year, reported a rise in the TFR to 2.4 from 2.3 in 2019. The survey also indicated a decline in contraceptive usage and access to modern contraception, directly linking the increased TFR to the contraceptive shortage. Given that a significant portion of rural populations rely on government-supplied contraceptives, the dwindling supply is likely to hinder birth control efforts.
Married women aged 15 to 49 using contraceptives decreased to 58.2 percent from 62.7 percent in 2019, with access to modern contraception meeting the needs of 73.5 percent of women compared to 77.4 percent in 2019. The declining trend in contraceptive supplies is evident from the diminishing stock levels since January 2019.
The DGFP data reveals that 397 upazilas are facing a condom shortage, with an additional 50 upazilas at risk of stock-outs lasting up to 18 days. Moreover, 221 upazilas have depleted oral pill stocks, emphasizing the severity of the crisis. The situation has been exacerbated due to the prolonged supply crunch, prompting concerns about the future impact on fertility rates and family planning efforts.
DGFP officials attributed the crisis’s origin to the surge in unmet contraceptive demand during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The situation worsened in June 2024 following the expiration of the Fourth Health, Population, and Nutrition Sector Programme, which historically procured most contraceptives. DGFP Director General Ashrafi Ahmad acknowledged the critical nature of the crisis, emphasizing the need for long-term solutions to address the escalating challenges in family planning.