Abstract: Objective To survey the married couples at reproductive age for contraceptive knowledge in 5 Chinese cities. Methods The data derived from a questionnaire-based research conducted in 2002 on family planning among married couples in 5 Chinese cities were statistically analyzed. Results The total rate of good contraceptive knowledge was 70.10% in the couples. Among all the contraceptive measures, condom use was the most familiar one. The understanding of contraceptive knowledge in couples working in official departments and educational institutes was better than that among the couples working in common enterprises, affected by such factors as gender, geographic regions, educational background and willingness of child-bearing. Conclusion The married couples in the Chinese cities have generally good understanding of contraceptive knowledge, which can be affected by different factors among different populations.