Record number of abortions carried out last year

PREGNANCY terminations in England and Wales last year were at their highest number since the Abortion Act was introduced.

The latest statistics show that of the 209,519 notified as having taken place in the two countries in 2019, 207,384 were for women resident there.

Both the total number and the number for women living in England and Wales have risen to the highest since the Act was brought in more than five decades ago, the Department of Health said.

While the age-standardised rate has risen only slightly to 18 per 1,000 from 17.4 per 1,000 in 2018, last year’s rate exceeds the previous highest recorded which was 17.9 in 2007.

The statistics, released by the department on Thursday, show that while there has been an increase in the rates for all ages 25 and above, the largest is among women aged 30-34.

Rates in that age group rose from 15.7 per 1,000 in 2009 to 20.9 per 1,000 last year.

Almost three-quarters (74%) of abortions took place in the independent sector, but 99% were funded by the NHS, the department said.

The abortion rate last year was highest for women aged 22, up from aged 21 the previous year.

While the abortion rates for those under 18 have fallen over the past 10 years, last year’s rate remained the same as 2018 at 8.1 per 1,000.

More than half (55%) of women having abortions last year had already had one or more previous pregnancies that resulted in a live or stillbirth, the statistics showed.

That figure was up from 49% in 2009.