Abortion Statistics, England and Wales

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 21 Jul 2004 - 9:00 PDT


Total number of abortions in England and Wales

Key facts: 2003

In 2003, for women resident in England and Wales:

-- the total number of abortions was 181,600, compared with 175,900 in 2002, a rise of 3.2%

-- the age-standardised abortion rate was 17.5 per 1,000 resident women aged 15-44 (17.0 in 2002)

-- the abortion rate was highest, at 31.3 per 1000, for women in the 20-24 age group

-- the under-16 abortion rate was 3.9 compared with 3.7 in 2002

-- 80% of abortions were funded by the NHS, of which just under half took place in the independent sector under NHS contract

-- 87% of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation; 58% were at under 10 weeks

-- 1,950 abortions (1%) were under ground E, risk that the child would be born handicapped

Non-residents

-- in 2003 there were 9,100 abortions for non-residents carried out in hospitals and clinics in England and Wales

Statistical Bulletin
Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2002
Revised July 2004

KEY FACTS

In 2002, for women resident in England and Wales:

-- the total number of abortions was 175,900, compared with 176,400 in 2001, a fall of 0.5%

-- the age-standardised abortion rate was 17.0 per 1,000 resident women aged 15-44

-- the abortion rate was highest, at 30.7 per 1000, for women in the 18-19 age group

-- the under-16 abortion rate was 3.7, as in 2001

-- 78% of abortions were funded by the NHS, of which just under half took place in the independent sector under NHS contract

-- 87% of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation; 57% were at under 10 weeks

-- medical abortions accounted for 14% of the total, compared with 12% in 2001

-- 1,900 abortions (1%) were under ground E, risk that the child would be born handicapped

Non-residents

-- in 2002 there were 9,450 abortions for non-residents carried out in hospitals and clinics in England and Wales

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Enquiries about the data or requests for further information should be addressed to:
Lesz Lancucki
Statistics Division 3G
Department of Health
Room 438B, Skipton House
80 London Road
London SE1 6LH
e-mail: abortion.statistics@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Extracts from this publication may be reproduced provided a reference to the source is given.

This is an Internet only edition for 2002 final data.
July 2004
Published October 2003 revised July 2004
ISBN 1 84182 782 7
© Crown Copyright 2004

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