Determinants of regional disparities in Contraceptive use among married women in India

Contraceptive methods refer to medical techniques, devices, or actions that help individuals or couples prevent unintended pregnancies and plan their families. Contraceptive use is vital for promoting the health and well-being of women and children. This study investigates the regional disparities in contraceptive use and explores its contributing factors among married women in India. The present study uses the data from the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-5) in India, 2019–2021. Participants included 484,167 married women age between 15 and 49 years in India. Contraceptive uses are the outcome variables. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were carried out to present the preliminary results. Multivariate decomposition analysis was used to identify the contributions of covariates that explain the regional differences to average predictions. This study highlights significant associations with participants’ background characteristics. The north region shows the highest contraceptive use, while the northeast reports the lowest. Key factors contributing to utilization gaps include media exposure to family planning, parity, wealth quintile, education, caste, religion, and urban-rural residence. Decomposition analysis reveals endowment disparities contribute significantly to regional differences, with the northeast-south gap showing the highest impact (60.73%). Effect-based differences, including age, education, and religious affiliation, also drive utilization disparities.