Abortion

The information below provides a summary of the abortion figures for 2010. For further information on abortion, including information on trends and comparisons over the last ten years, please download our teenage pregnancy factsheet.

In 2010, the latest full year for which statistics are available, 189.574 abortions took place in England and Wales. That's a rate of 17.5 per thousand women aged 15-44.

In Scotland in 2010 there were 12,826 abortions resulting in an abortion rate of 12.3 per thousand women aged 15-44.

The majority of abortions are performed under 13 weeks of pregnancy. In England and Wales in 2010 77% were carried out under 10 weeks of pregnancy and 15% were carried out between 10 and 12 weeks. During the same period 1% of terminations occurred at 20 weeks or later.

In Scotland 76% were carried out under 10 weeks of pregnancy and  18.5% were carried out between 10 and 13 weeks. Less than half a percent were carried out at 20 weeks or more.

In 2010  the crude rate of abortions per thousand 15-19 year olds in England and Wales was 22 and in 20-24 year olds it was 30. In Scotland in 2009 the abortion rate per thousand 16-19 year olds was 21.4 and in 20-24 year olds it was 22.4.