This study examines whether changes in fertility behavior have occurred in Abidjan in recent years as a consequence of desire for smaller families and easy access to contraception. 720 married women aged 20-44 residing in upper or middle class districts and belonging to 3 different ethnic groups representative of the Ivory Coast population were interviewed concerning their desired number of children, contraceptive knowledge, and contraceptive practice. The age at 1st birth was 18.39 for illiterate women, 18.59 for those with 1-9 years of schooling, and 21.17 for those with 10 or more years of schooling. Educational attainment was not, however, associated with lower ultimate family size, as educated women continue childbearing to a later age, have shorter birth intervals, and lose fewer children in infancy. The average number of children desired was 6.2 but varied considerably by age and education. Women aged 20-29 desired fewer children than those aged 30-44 when educational level was held constant. Among less educated women, 52% of the younger and 38% of the older wanted fewer than 7 children, while among the more educated, 91% of younger and 78% of older women wanted fewer than 7. Younger age was associated only with a desire for fewer children, and was not associated with contraceptive knowledge or an attitude favorable to the use of contraception. Among the total sample, the pill and rhythm were the most widely known methods, with each recognized by over 50%, while IUDs, condoms, and withdrawal were the least well known. Education was clearly related to knowledge of modern contraceptive methods. At all levels of instruction, older women reported knowledge of more contraceptive methods than younger women. 19% of the total sample reported having used contraception at some time, of which 91% had used either the pill or rhythm. Among the most educated, 53% had used contraception, 28% desired to use it, and 19% stated they had no interest. Among illiterates, 82% had no interest in using contraception, 4% had used a method, and 14% expressed interest in using a method. At all levels of education, the older women were more likely to have used contraception. In each age group and educational level, women seeking contraception had the highest mean number of children, those using contraception had a slightly lower mean number, and those reporting no interest in contraception had a considerably lower mean number of children.