The aim of this study was to determine the consistency of spouses’ declarations about contraceptive use and child desire in Turkey. Husbands eligible for the study were currently married to eligible women, i.e. those who generally lived in the same household or who stayed in the household the night before the interview. Husband questionnaires were completed by 1971 men. It was found that 88·9% of the couples had not talked about family planning with each other in the last two months. The percentage of answers on current contraceptive use for all methods that were consistent for husbands and wives was 70·2%. The consistency among partners who stated they would like to have children in the future was found to be 94·8%, and that among partners who were planning to use a contraceptive method was found to be 88·3%.