Abortion

The information below provides a summary of the abortion figures for 2008. For further information on abortion, including information on trends and comparisons over the last ten years, please download our teenage pregnancy factsheet.

In 2008, the latest full year for which statistics are available, 195,296 abortions took place in England and Wales. That's a rate of 18.2 per thousand women aged 15-44.  

In Scotland, during the same period, there were 13,738 abortions resulting in an abortion rate of 13.1 per thousand women aged 15-44.

The majority of abortions are performed under 13 weeks of pregnancy. In England and Wales in 2008 73% were carried out under 10 weeks of pregnancy and 17% were carried out between 10 and 12 weeks. During the same period 2% of terminations occurred at 20 weeks or later.

In Scotland 70% were carried out under 10 weeks of pregnancy and 23% were carried out between 10 and 13 weeks. Less than 1% were carried out at 20 weeks or more.

Abortion rates are highest amongst women aged under 24. In 2008 the rate of abortions per thousand 15-19 year olds in England and Wales was 24 and in 20-24 year olds it was 32. In Scotland the abortion rate per thousand 16-19 year olds was 24.5 and in 20-24 year olds it was 24.9.