Spatial distribution and factors associated with unmet need for family planning among women of reproductive age in Zambia: Evidence from the 2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey

Unmet need for family planning among 12,133 Zambian women aged 15–49 is 27.0% overall, ranging from 23.8% in Central to 31.6% in North-Western Province.

• Why it matters: National averages may hide geographic inequalities in unmet need, which is linked to unintended pregnancy and preventable maternal and child deaths.
• What they did: Using the 2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, survey-weighted logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios, while Morans I, Getis-Ord Gi*, and SaTScan mapped spatial clustering and hotspots.
• The result: Unmet need is spatially clustered (Morans I = 0.142, p = 0.018) with a primary Lusaka cluster (observed-to-expected ratio 1.42, p < 0.001), and is higher for women in union (AOR 2.33), never-married women (AOR 2.20), and those with five or more children (AOR 3.05).

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