Family planning methods have been recognized as important elements in reducing fertility and population control, which in turn help in overall development of the nation. Unintended or unwanted pregnancies can adversely affect woman’s health by exposing her to high risk pregnancies, unsafe abortions, reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Hence, use of modern contraceptive can prevent maternal mortality to a large extent by reducing number of unwanted pregnancies, abortions, especially unsafe, and high risk births. Also it is well known that fulfilling women’s need for modern contraceptives can prevent large number of maternal deaths, thereby saving many lives per year. The present literature will help in knowing the current trends family planning practices and unmet need for contraception all over the world. Method: The literature regarding family planning services and unmet needs for contraception was searched from various English language journals, Government sites, WHO and UNSAID data, published peer-reviewed articles on PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar till 2015.