The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has recently released the World Fertility Report 2003, which presents a compilation of key estimates and indicators of fertility, nuptiality and contraceptive use for 192 countries, referring mostly to the 1970s and 1990s (and recent periods, when possible).

The set of data presented permit an assessment of the unprecedented changes in nuptiality, contraceptive use and fertility that have occurred since the 1970s.
Among other things, the Report documents the worldwide shift of marriage to older ages, the tremendous increase in the use of contraception, and a major and unprecedented reduction of fertility levels in developing countries.

The Division also recently released a wall chart entitled “World Contraceptive Use 2003” presenting the most recent data available on current contraceptive practice for regions of the world.
The Report as well as the wall chart can be found at www.unpopulation.org