About 54% of women ages 15 to 49 in the United States currently use some form of birth control, based on 2022–2023 data from the National Center for Health Statistics. That number reflects a snapshot in time. When researchers ask women whether they’ve used any contraception in the past year, the figure jumps to around 82%, according to a 2024 KFF survey of women ages 18 to 49.
The gap between those two numbers makes sense: many women switch methods, take breaks, or use contraception only when they have a sexual partner. The “currently using” figure is the one most commonly cited in public health data.
How Usage Changes With Age
Birth control use rises steadily through a woman’s reproductive years. Among teens ages 15 to 19, just 25.5% are currently using a method. That climbs to 52.4% for women in their twenties, 59.8% in their thirties, and peaks at 64.9% for women ages 40 to 49. The low rate among teenagers doesn’t necessarily mean fewer sexually active teens are using contraception. It reflects the fact that many teens in that age range aren’t yet sexually active, so they aren’t using any method at all.
The type of birth control women choose also shifts dramatically by age. Women in their teens and twenties are the most likely to use the pill, with roughly 1 in 5 relying on it. By their forties, only about 6.5% of women still take it. Sterilization moves in the opposite direction: about 2 in 5 women ages 40 to 49 rely on it, compared with 1 in 5 women in their thirties. IUDs and implants are most popular among women in their twenties and thirties, used by about 13% of each group.
The Most Common Methods
Three methods essentially tie for the top spot in the U.S. Female sterilization is used by 11.5% of women ages 15 to 49. The pill comes in at 11.4%. And IUDs combined with implants account for 10.5%. Condoms, while widely available, are the primary method for a smaller share of women, roughly 5% to 10% depending on age group.
This distribution reflects a notable shift in recent years. IUDs and implants have gained significant ground, nearly matching the pill in overall popularity. These long-acting methods appeal to women who want reliable contraception without a daily routine, and they’re now used by more than 1 in 10 women of reproductive age.
Many Women Use the Pill for Reasons Beyond Pregnancy
Birth control pills serve double duty for millions of women. More than half of all pill users, 58%, take them at least partly for reasons other than preventing pregnancy. The most common non-contraceptive reasons include reducing menstrual cramps or pain (31% of pill users), regulating periods (28%), and treating acne (14%). About 4% use the pill specifically to manage endometriosis.
Perhaps most striking: 14% of pill users, roughly 1.5 million women, take them exclusively for these medical reasons with no contraceptive purpose at all. For these women, the pill functions as a treatment for a health condition, not as birth control in any practical sense. This is worth keeping in mind when interpreting overall usage statistics, because the headline number includes women whose prescriptions have nothing to do with preventing pregnancy.
How the U.S. Compares Globally
Globally, about 77% of women who want to plan or prevent pregnancies have access to modern contraceptive methods, up from about 74% in 2000. That figure measures something slightly different from the U.S. statistic. It looks at women with an expressed need for family planning and asks whether that need is being met, rather than surveying all women of reproductive age regardless of whether they want contraception.
The steady global increase reflects expanded access to contraception in regions where it was previously limited. Still, that remaining 23% represents tens of millions of women worldwide whose family planning needs go unmet.
Why the Numbers Vary Between Surveys
If you search this topic, you’ll find figures ranging from 54% to 82%, which can be confusing. The differences come down to methodology. The CDC’s 54.3% figure counts women who are using a contraceptive method right now, including women who aren’t sexually active and have no current reason to use one. The KFF survey’s 82% figure asks a broader question: have you used any form of contraception in the past year? It also starts at age 18 rather than 15, which excludes many younger teens who haven’t become sexually active.
Neither number is wrong. The CDC figure gives a conservative, point-in-time snapshot. The KFF figure better captures how many women rely on contraception at some point during a given year. For most practical purposes, the takeaway is the same: the majority of reproductive-age women in the U.S. use birth control, and the specific percentage depends on how you define “use.”