Frequently used denominators | Examples of indicators based on each denominator | Median sample size by wealth quintiles | ||||
Poorest | Second | Third | Fourth | Richest | ||
All households with women aged 15–49 years or children under 5 years | Water, sanitation, hygiene | 2507 | 2352 | 2188 | 2215 | 2241 |
Sexually active* 15–49-year-old women and girls | Contraceptive coverage | 1683 | 1626 | 1605 | 1570 | 1526 |
Live births in the past 2–3 years to 15–49-year-old women and girls† | Antenatal, delivery and postnatal care | 1001 | 885 | 826 | 697 | 481 |
Children aged <2 years | Early initiation of breastfeeding | 765 | 644 | 578 | 504 | 418 |
Children aged <6 months | Exclusive breastfeeding | 183 | 157 | 136 | 121 | 103 |
Children aged 12–23 months‡ | Immunisations | 376 | 319 | 299 | 262 | 224 |
Children aged <5 years with diarrhoea in the past 2 weeks | Oral rehydration therapy or solution | 303 | 232 | 200 | 158 | 99 |
Children aged <5 years with suspected pneumonia in the past 2 weeks | Care-seeking for pneumonia | 109 | 86 | 63 | 52 | 45 |
Children aged <5 years | Bednets, anthropometric indicators | 1334 | 1139 | 1033 | 950 | 728 |
*Some surveys only ask this question for women who are married or in union.
†Denominators refer to women who delivered a live child in the past 2 years (MICS) or 3 years (DHS). Postnatal care refers to women giving birth in the past 2 years for both types of surveys.
‡In some countries, the denominator includes children aged 15–26 or 18–29 months, to take into account the immunisation calendars.
DHS, Demographic and Health Surveys; MICS, Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys; RMNCH, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health indicators.