Editing Abortion in the United Kingdom (section)

==Statistics==
===Total number of abortions (including historical estimates)===
{|
| width="10" |&nbsp;
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="5" |1958 to 1989
|-
! Year !! England & Wales<ref name="ew">{{cite news|title=Historical abortion statistics, England and Wales (UK)|url=
https://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/uk/ab-ukenglandwales.html|newspaper=Johnston's Archive|access-date=15 May 2022}}</ref>!! Scotland<ref name="sco">{{cite news|title=Historical abortion statistics, Scotland (UK)|url=
http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/uk/ab-ukscotland.html|newspaper=Johnston's Archive|access-date=15 May 2022}}</ref>!! Northern Ireland<ref name="ni">{{cite news|title=Historical abortion statistics, Northern Ireland|url=
https://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/uk/ab-uknorthireland.html|newspaper=Johnston's Archive|access-date=15 May 2022}}</ref>!! Total
|-
| 1958 || 13,570 || - || -  || 13,570
|-
| 1959 || 13,900 || - || -  || 13,900
|-
| 1960 || 14,000 || - || -  || 14,000
|-
| 1961 || 14,300 || - || -  || 14,300
|-
| 1962 || 16,800 || - || -  || 16,800
|-
| 1963 || 16,600 || - || -  || 16,600
|-
| 1964 || 18,300 || - || -  || 18,300
|-
| 1965 || 19,500 || - || -  || 19,500
|-
| 1966 || 21,400 || - || -  || 21,400
|-
| 1967 || 27,200 || - || -  || 27,200
|-
| 1968 || 23,641 || 1,544 || -  || 25,185
|-
| 1969 || 54,819 || 3,556 || -  || 58,375
|-
| 1970 || 86,565 || 5,254 || -  || 91,819
|-
| 1971 || 126,777 || 6,333 || -  || 133,110
|-
| 1972 || 159,884 || 7,609 || -  || 167,493
|-
| 1973 || 167,149 || 7,542 || -  || 174,691
|-
| 1974 || 162,940 || 7,568 || -  || 170,508
|-
| 1975 || 139,702 || 7,327 || -  || 147,029
|-
| 1976 || 129,673 || 7,219 || -  || 136,892
|-
| 1977 || 133,004 || 7,334 || -  || 140,338
|-
| 1978 || 141,558 || 7,451 || -  || 149,009
|-
| 1979 || 149,746 || 7,784 || - || 157,530
|-
| 1980 || 160,903 || 7,905 || -  || 168,808
|-
| 1981 || 162,480 || 9,007 || -  || 171,487
|-
| 1982 || 163,045 || 8,425 || - || 171,470
|-
| 1983 || 162,161 || 8,459 || -  || 170,620
|-
| 1984 || 169,993 || 9,155 || -  || 179,148
|-
| 1985 || 171,873 || 9,189 || -  || 181,062
|-
| 1986 || 172,286 || 9,628 || -  || 181,914
|-
| 1987 || 174,276 || 9,460 || -  || 183,736
|-
| 1988 || 183,798 || 10,128 || -  || 193,926
|-
| 1989 || 183,974 || 10,209 || -  || 194,183
|-
|}
| width="30" |&nbsp;
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="5" |1990 to 2020
|-
! Year !! England & Wales<ref name="ew"/> !! Scotland<ref name="sco"/> !! Northern Ireland<ref name="ni"/> !! Total
|-
| 1990 || 186,912 || 10,219 || -  || 197,131
|-
| 1991 || 179,522 || 11,068 || -  || 190,590
|-
| 1992 || 172,069 || 10,818 || -  || 182,887
|-
| 1993 || 168,714 || 11,076 || -  || 179,790
|-
| 1994 || 166,876 || 11,392 || -  || 178,268
|-
| 1995 || 163,638 || 11,143 || -  || 174,781
|-
| 1996 || 177,495 || 11,978 || 85 || 189,558
|-
| 1997 || 179,746 || 12,109 || 79 || 191,934
|-
| 1998 || 187,402 || 12,485 || 71 || 199,958
|-
| 1999 || 183,250 || 12,168 || 83  || 195,501
|-
| 2000 || 185,375 || 11,997 || 71  || 197,553
|-
| 2001 || 186,274 || 12,128 || 76  || 198,478
|-
| 2002 || 185,385 || 11,870 || 67  || 197,322
|-
| 2002 || 190,660 || 12,308 || 64  || 203,032
|-
| 2004 || 194,498 || 12,462 || 80  || 207,040
|-
| 2005 || 194,353 || 12,665 || 79  || 207,097
|-
| 2006 || 201,173 || 13,167 || 91  || 214,431
|-
| 2007 || 205,598 || 13,778 || 78  || 219,454
|-
| 2008 || 202,158 || 13,908 || 68  || 216,134
|-
| 2009 || 195,743 || 13,112 || 75  || 208,930
|-
| 2010 || 196,109 || 12,948 || 74  || 209,131
|-
| 2011 || 196,082 || 12,558 || 38 || 208,678
|-
| 2012 || 190,972 || 12,570 || 45  || 203,587
|-
| 2013 || 190,800 || 11,946 || 32  || 202,778
|-
| 2014 || 190,092 || 11,781 || 17  || 201,890
|-
| 2015 || 191,014 || 12,141 || 16  || 203,171
|-
| 2016 || 190,406 || 12,124 || 12  || 202,542
|-
| 2017 || 197,533 || 12,531 || 12  || 210,076
|-
| 2018 || 205,295 || 13,351 || 8  || 218,624
|-
| 2019 || 209,519 || 13,606 || 89  || 223,214
|-
| 2020 || 210,860 || 13,815 || 36  || 224,711
|-
| '''Total (2020)''' || '''9,231,163''' || '''549,308''' ||'''1,446''' ||'''9,781,917'''
|}

|}
<gallery mode="packed" widths="150" heights="120" caption="Abortion statistics in the UK + England and Wales">
File:Abortions in the United Kingdom over time.svg|Abortions in the UK over time
File:Percentage of conceptions leading to abortion in the UK.svg|Percentage of conceptions leading to abortion in the UK
File:Births + Abortions in the United Kingdom.svg|Live births + abortions in the UK
File:Abortions in England and Wales.svg|Abortions in England and Wales over time
File:Percentage of conceptions leading to abortion in different age groups in England and Wales.svg|Percentage of conceptions leading to abortion in age groups in England and Wales
File:Abortions by age group in England and Wales.svg|Abortions by age group in England and Wales
File:Percentage of conceptions leading to an abortion overtime from 1969 to 2020 in the England and Wales.svg|Percentage of conceptions leading to an abortion over time in England and Wales
</gallery>

===Legal abortions by ground===
Statistics for legal abortions are published annually by the Department of Health and Social Care, for England and Wales, NHS Scotland, and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. Where there is only a small number of abortions for a particular ground, the number is not published by statisticians to avoid the risk of disclosing the identity of the persons involved.

Legal abortions were carried out on the following grounds in England and Wales in 2020:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ ''Abortion statistics for England and Wales 2020''<ref>{{Cite web |title=abortion-statistics-2020-data-tables_Final |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992250/abortion-statistics-2020-data-tables_Final.ods |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk}}</ref>
|-
! Primary ground !! Number !! % !! Notes
|-
| Grounds A/F/G || 98 || 0.05 || Risk to life of pregnant woman (or in emergencies)
|-
| Ground B || 31 || 0.01 || Prevent grave permanent injury to pregnant woman
|-
| Ground C || 206,768 || 98.1 || Risk of injury to physical/mental health of pregnant woman
|-
| Ground D || 778 || 0.37 || Risk of injury to physical/mental health of other children
|-
| Ground E || 3,185 || 1.51 || Physical or mental abnormality in unborn child
|-
| '''Total''' || '''210,860''' || '''100.0''' ||
|}

Nearly all (99.9%) of abortions carried out under Ground C alone were reported as being performed because of a risk to the woman's mental health and were classified as F99 (mental disorder, not otherwise specified) under the [[ICD-10]] classification system.<ref name="stats">{{cite web |title=Abortion statistics for England and Wales 2020, 4.7 Statutory grounds for abortion |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2020/abortion-statistics-england-and-wales-2020 |website=www.gov.uk |publisher=Department of Health and Social Care |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref>

Legal abortions were carried out on the following grounds in Scotland in the same year:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ ''Termination of pregnancy statistics for Scotland 2020''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics-year-ending-december-2020 | title=Termination of pregnancy statistics - Year ending December 2020 - Termination of pregnancy statistics - Publications - Public Health Scotland }}</ref>
|-
! Primary ground !! Number !! % !! Notes
|-
| Grounds A/B/D/F/G || 34 || 0.25 || Risk to life of pregnant woman (and other grounds not listed below)
|-
| Ground C || 13,572 || 98.2 || Risk of injury to physical/mental health of pregnant woman
|-
| Ground E || 209 || 1.51 || Physical or mental abnormality in unborn child
|-
| '''Total''' || '''13,815''' || '''100.0''' ||
|}

In Northern Ireland, the total number of terminations in 2017–2018 was 12, followed by 8 in 2018–2019, and 22 in 2019–2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Ireland Termination of Pregnancy Statistics 2019/20 |url=https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-ireland-termination-pregnancy-statistics-201920 |website=www.health-ni.gov.uk |date=18 January 2021 |publisher=Department of Health |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-51205447|title=NI abortion: Eight abortions in NI hospitals during 2018–19|first=Catherine|last=Smyth|work=BBC News|date=22 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2020}}</ref> As indicated above, for most of that time, abortions were permitted there if the act was to save the life of the mother, or if there was a risk of permanent and serious damage to the mental or physical health of the mother.

In 2020, a total of 371 women travelling from Northern Ireland received abortions in England and Wales:
*367 – due to risk of injury to physical or mental health of the pregnant woman; and
*4 – due to physical or mental abnormality in the unborn child.<ref>{{cite web |title=Abortion statistics 2020: data tables, Table 12g |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992250/abortion-statistics-2020-data-tables_Final.ods |website=www.gov.uk |publisher=Department of Health and Social Care}}</ref>

In the same year, 194 women travelling from the [[Republic of Ireland]] received abortions in England and Wales:
*131 – due to risk of injury to physical or mental health of the pregnant woman; and
*63 – due to physical or mental abnormality in the unborn child.<ref>{{cite web |title=Abortion statistics 2020: data tables, Table 12e |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992250/abortion-statistics-2020-data-tables_Final.ods |website=www.gov.uk |publisher=Department of Health and Social Care}}</ref>

The number of pregnant women from the island of Ireland travelling for an abortion was previously much more significant although this decreased following changes in legislation in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scottish statistics for abortion record the place of residence of the pregnant woman within Scotland (i.e. an NHS board or a local government area); these figures includes temporary addresses for students and a small number of women travelling to Scotland from elsewhere.<ref>{{cite web |title=Termination of pregnancy statistics year ending December 2020 |url=https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/7976/2021-05-25-terminations-2020-report.pdf |date= 25 May 2021 |page= 18 |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref>

==== Ethnicity ====
The broad multi-ethnic group of those getting an abortion is as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="3" |Ethnic group
! colspan="11" |Year<ref name="Abortion statistics archive">{{Cite web |title=Abortion statistics archive |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130123231223/http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/StatisticalWorkAreas/Statisticalpublichealth/index.htm |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk}}</ref><ref name="gov.uk">{{Cite web |title=Abortion statistics in England and Wales |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>
|-
!2002
!2003
!2005
!2007
!2009
!2011
!2013
!2015
!2017
!2019
!2021
|-
! colspan="11" |Percentage % (excludes Not Stated)
|-
|White
|75
|76
|74
|75
|76
|76
|76
|77
|78
|77
|78
|-
|Mixed / British Mixed
|3
|2
|2
|3
|3
|3
|3
|4
|4
|4
|5
|-
|Asian / Asian British
|7
|7
|8
|8
|9
|10
|9
|9
|9
|9
|9
|-
|Black / Black British
|12
|12
|13
|11
|10
|9
|9
|8
|8
|8
|7
|-
|Chinese or other groups
|3
|3
|3
|3
|2
|2
|3
|2
|2
|2
|1
|}
By individual ethnic group, including numbers and those which do not state an ethnicity:
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! rowspan="3" |Ethnic group
! colspan="8" |Year<ref name="gov.uk"/><ref name="Abortion statistics archive"/> (includes Not stated as percentage)
|-
! colspan="2" |2006
! colspan="2" |2011
! colspan="2" |2016
! colspan="2" |2021
|-
!Population
!%
!Population
!%
!Population
!%
!Population
!%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
![[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]: Total
!123,847
!63.9%
!135,916
!71.6%
!138,958
!74.9%
!151,639
!70.8%
|-
|White: [[White British|British]]
|111,888
|57.8%
|121,238
|63.8%
|120,284
|64.8%
|134,000
|62.5%
|-
|White: [[Irish Briton|Irish]]
|920
|
|912
|
|1,163
|
|1,194
|
|-
|White: [[White Other (United Kingdom Census)|Other]]
|11,039
|
|13,766
|
|17,511
|
|16,445
|
|-
![[Asian people|Asian]] or [[British Asian|Asian British]]: Total
!15,930
!8.2%
!19,657
!10.3%
!17,358
!9.4%
!18,089
!8.4%
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian]]
|5,685
|
|6,840
|
|5,989
|
|6,945
|
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Pakistani|Pakistani]]
|3,080
|
|3,715
|
|3,867
|
|4,389
|
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Bangladeshi|Bangladeshi]]
|1,335
|
|1,691
|
|1,625
|
|1,741
|
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Asian|Asian Other]]
|3,799
|
|5,419
|
|4,323
|
|4,176
|
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Chinese|Chinese]]
|2,031
|
|1,992
|
|1,554
|
|838
|
|-
![[Black people|Black]] or [[Black British]]: Total
!19,652
!10.1%
!16,399
!8.6%
!13,876
!7.5%
!13,836
!6.5%
|-
|Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean community|Caribbean]]
|5,536
|
|4,878
|
|4,201
|
|3,689
|
|-
|Black or Black British: [[Black British|African]]
|12,206
|
|10,616
|
|8,842
|
|8,337
|
|-
|Black or Black British: [[Other Black|Other]]
|1,910
|
|905
|
|833
|
|1,810
|
|-
![[British Mixed]]: Total
!4,260
!2.2%
!5,414
!2.9%
!6,675
!3.6%
!9,453
!4.4%
|-
|Mixed: [[White people|White]] and [[British African-Caribbean community|Caribbean]]
|1,591
|
|2,131
|
|2,919
|
|4,031
|
|-
|Mixed: [[White people|White]] and [[Black British|African]]
|628
|
|958
|
|941
|
|1,339
|
|-
|Mixed: [[White people|White]] and [[British Asian|Asian Other]]
|568
|
|632
|
|954
|
|1,339
|
|-
|Mixed: [[Multiracial|Other Mixed]]
|1,473
|
|1,693
|
|1,861
|
|2,744
|
|-
!Other: Total
!2,100
!1.1%
!2,300
!1.2%
!2,512
!1.4%
!1,209
!0.6%
|-
|Other: Any other ethnic group
|2,100
|1.1%
|2,300
|1.2%
|2,512
|1.4%
|1,209
|0.6%
|-
!Not known/stated
!27,948
!14.4%
!10,245
!5.4%
!6,217
!3.3%
!19,995
!9.3%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Total
!193,737
!100%
!189,931
!100%
!185,596
!100%
!214,256
!100%
|}

===Legal abortions by gestation===
A significant majority of abortions in Great Britain take place at less than 10 weeks of gestation. The numbers and percentages in England and Wales, Scotland, and Great Britain overall, were as follows in 2020. Information on gestation and abortion is not available in Northern Ireland for the same year.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ ''Legal abortions by gestation weeks, 2020''<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |title=Abortion Statistics 2020 Data Tables Final |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992250/abortion-statistics-2020-data-tables_Final.ods |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk}}</ref>
|-
! Gestation !! England and Wales !! % !! Scotland !! % !! Great Britain !! %
|-
| 3–9 weeks || 185,559 || 88.0 || 12,108 || 87.6 || 197,667 || 88.0
|-
| 10–12 weeks || 11,654 || 5.5 || 983 || 7.1 || 12,637 || 5.6
|-
| 13–19 weeks || 10,736 || 5.4 || 651 || 4.7 || 11,387 || 5.1
|-
| 20 weeks and over || 2,911 || 1.4 || 73 || 0.5 || 2,984 || 1.3
|-
| '''Total''' || '''210,860''' || '''100''' || '''13,815''' || '''100''' || '''224,675''' || '''100'''
|}
[[File:England abortion percentages mapped across adminstrative districts.svg|thumb|314x314px|Percentage of conceptions which led to an abortion in English administrative districts in 2020 {{legend|#ff9999|Less than 22%}}{{legend|#ff6666|22 to 24%}}{{legend|#ff3333|24 to 26%}}{{legend|#ff0000|26 to 30%}}{{legend|#cc0000|More than 30%}}]]
[[File:Percentage of conceptions leading to abortion Wales.svg|thumb|305x305px|Percentage of conceptions leading to Abortion in Wales {{legend|#ff9999|Less than 22%}}{{legend|#ff6666|22 to 24%}}{{legend|#ff3333|24 to 26%}}{{legend|#ff0000|26 to 30%}}{{legend|#cc0000|More than 30%}}]]

===Legal abortions by nation/region===
In 2020, the region with the largest number of abortions was London followed by South East England, the West Midlands and North West England. Statistics on abortion recorded at a regional level or national level (for England, Wales and Scotland individually) relate to residents. Abortions for non-residents are also recorded for England and Wales (collectively) although these were lower than usual (at 943 abortions) in that year due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information for Northern Ireland is recorded by financial year rather than calendar year, with 22 abortions recorded in 2019–2020.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ ''Legal abortions by nation and region, 2020''<ref name="auto1"/>
|-
! Nation/Region !! No. of abortions
|-
| London || 42,630
|-
| South East England || 28,723 
|-
| South West England || 15,008
|-
| East of England || 19,819
|-
| West Midlands || 23,159
|-
| East Midlands || 14,806
|-
| North West England || 29,927
|-
| Yorkshire and the Humber || 18,013
|-
| North East England || 7,998
|-
| '''England''' || '''200,083'''
|-
| '''Wales''' || '''9,834'''
|-
| '''England and Wales (residents)''' || '''209,917'''
|-
| '''England and Wales (non-residents)''' || '''934'''
|-
| '''Scotland''' || '''13,815'''
|-
| '''Great Britain''' || '''224,675'''
|}

===Abortion offences===
Abortions carried out for grounds outside those permitted in law (e.g. in most cases after the 24-week term limit, or where appropriate consent has not been given) continue to be unlawful in each jurisdiction of the UK – under the [[Offences against the Person Act 1861]] in England and Wales, [[#Scotland|Scottish common law]], and the [[#Changes in law: 2019–2020|Northern Ireland Regulations]]. The [[Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929]] and the [[Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945]] also outlaw [[child destruction]] in cases where the life of the unborn child would have been viable outside the womb.<ref name="familyLaw">''C v S'' [1988] QB 135, [1987] 2 WLR 1108, [1987] 1 All ER 1230, [1987] 2 FLR 505, (1987) 17 Fam Law 269, [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales#Civil Division|Court of Appeal (Civil Division)]]</ref><ref>{{cite journal|pmid=12346721 | volume=14 | title=C. v. S., 25 February 1987 | year=1987 | journal=Annual Review of Population Law | page=41| author1=United Kingdom. Court of Appeal }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/6687893.stm|title=Baby destruction woman sentenced|date=24 May 2007|access-date=17 April 2012|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Medicines watchdog sentences man for selling abortion tablets and counterfeit Viagra |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-watchdog-sentences-man-for-selling-abortion-tablets-and-counterfeit-viagra |website=www.gov.uk |publisher=Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency |access-date=12 November 2022 |date=2015}}</ref>

With the increasing availability of medicines for abortion, the [[Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency]] has stated that medicines are not ordinary consumer goods and have the potential to cause harm as well as cure, and selling mifepristone with no medical qualifications is illegal and can be extremely dangerous for patients.<ref>{{cite web |title=Woman sentenced to 27 months for selling abortion pills illegally |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/woman-sentenced-to-27-months-for-selling-abortion-pills-illegally |website=www.gov.uk |publisher=Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency |access-date=12 November 2022 |date=26 June 2015}}</ref>

[[Home Office]] statistics for England and Wales recorded 224 offences in total for procuring an illegal abortion in 1900–1909, which increased to 527 in the subsequent decade, 651 in the 1920s, and 1,028 in the 1930s (although figures for 1939 are unavailable). The number of offences increased significantly from 1942 onwards, at the same time as the arrival of American military personnel during the [[Second World War]], rising to 649 in 1944, and totalling 3,088 throughout the 1940s. The trend decreased but remained significant with 2,040 offences from 1950 to 1959 inclusive and 2,592 in the 1960s. However, there was a decrease from 212 offences in 1970 to three in 1979, alongside the implementation of the 1967 Act, and offences remained at single figures over the rest of the 20th Century. From 1931 to 2002, there were also 109 recorded cases of child destruction in the jurisdiction, as defined by the [[Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A summary of recorded crime data from 1898 to 2001/02 [England & Wales] |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/historical-crime-data |website=www.gov.uk |publisher=Home Office |access-date=12 November 2022 |date=2012}}</ref>

From 2002–2003 to 2008–2009, there were 30 cases of child destruction and 46 cases of illegal abortion in England and Wales followed by 61 cases of illegal abortion and 80 cases of child destruction in the subsequent decade (between 2009–2010 and 2019–2020 inclusive).<ref>{{cite web |title=A summary of recorded crime data from year ending Mar 2003 to year ending Mar 2015 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/historical-crime-data#full-publication-update-history |website=www.gov.uk |publisher=Home Office |access-date=12 November 2022 |date=2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Table A4: Police recorded crime by offence, Crime in England and Wales |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables |website=www.ons.gov.uk |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref> Guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service lists procuring an abortion (unlawfully) as a child abuse offence<ref>{{cite web |title=Child Abuse (non-sexual) - prosecution guidance |url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/child-abuse-non-sexual-prosecution-guidance |website=www.cps.gov.uk |publisher=Crown Prosecution Service |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref> and notes that some unlawful abortions may be carried out as honour-based crimes, which are committed to punish women for "alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community's code of behaviour."<ref>{{cite web |title=So-Called Honour-Based Abuse and Forced Marriage: Guidance on Identifying and Flagging cases |url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/so-called-honour-based-abuse-and-forced-marriage-guidance-identifying-and-flagging |website=www.cps.gov.uk |publisher=Crown Prosecution Service |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref>

Abortion and child destruction offences have historically only occasionally been recorded in Northern Ireland – a possible effect of the deterrent provided in law and the policing of a smaller jurisdiction. Between 1998 and 2018, the [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] and the [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]] recorded 17 cases of procuring an illegal abortion and three cases of child destruction. In several years within that timeframe, no offences of this type were recorded.<ref>{{cite web |title=Police recorded crime Annual Trends 1998/99 to 2017/18 |url=https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/inside-the-psni/our-statistics/police-recorded-crime-statistics/documents/police_recorded_crime_in_northern_ireland_1998-99_to_2017-18.xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802223827/https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/inside-the-psni/our-statistics/police-recorded-crime-statistics/documents/police_recorded_crime_in_northern_ireland_1998-99_to_2017-18.xls |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 August 2019 |publisher=Police Service of Northern Ireland |access-date=14 October 2019 |at=Table 2.2 |date=2018}}</ref>

In the absence of statute law on abortion in Scotland before 1967, medical and legal practice varied locally.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Gayle |last1=Davis |title=The Great Divide: The Policy and Practice of Abortion in 1960s Scotland |url=https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/great-divide-policy-and-practice-abortion-1960s-scotland |website=www.rcpe.ac.uk |publisher=Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh |access-date=12 November 2022 |date=2005}}</ref> [[Demographics of the United Kingdom|General population comparisons]] between jurisdictions would indicate that Scotland would record fewer offences than England and Wales and more than Northern Ireland although figures are not routinely published. In 2022, calls were made to formalise an offence of child destruction in Scotland, to ensure a more consistent approach in line with its neighbouring jurisdictions.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Andrew |last1=Learmonth |title=Men whose abuse leads to miscarriage escaping prosecution in Scotland |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23112491.men-whose-abuse-leads-miscarriage-escaping-prosecution-scotland |website=www.heraldscotland.com |publisher=The Herald |access-date=12 November 2022 |date=9 November 2022}}</ref>

===Trends since 1967===
{{Update|section|date=November 2022}}
[[File:UK abortion by gestational age 2004 histogram.svg|thumb|right|Percentage of abortions in Great Britain by [[Gestational age (obstetrics)|gestational age]], 2004]]
[[File:UK abortion by gestational age 2019 histogram.svg|thumb|right|Percentage of abortions in Great Britain by gestational age, 2019]]

Post 1967 there was a rapid increase in the annual number of legal abortions, and a decline in sepsis and death due to illegal abortions.<ref name="Rowlands">{{cite journal |author=Rowlands S |date=October 2007 |title=Contraception and abortion |url=http://www.jrsm.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=17911129 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209114641/http://www.jrsm.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=17911129 |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 December 2012 |journal=J R Soc Med |volume=100 |issue=10 |pages=465–8 |doi=10.1177/014107680710001015 |pmc=1997258 |pmid=17911129 }}</ref> In 1978 121,754 abortions were performed on women resident in the UK, and 28,015 on non-resident women.<ref>{{cite book|title=Royal Commission on the National Health Service (Chapter 18: The NHS and Private Practice) | date = 17 July 1979 | publisher = [[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]] |url=http://www.sochealth.co.uk/national-health-service/royal-commission-on-the-national-health-service-contents/royal-commission-on-the-nhs-chapter-18/|isbn=9780101761505|access-date=12 June 2015}}</ref> The rate of increase fell from the early 1970s and actually dipped from 1991 to 1995 before rising again. The age group with the highest number of abortions per 1000 is amongst those aged 20–24. 2006 statistics for England and Wales revealed that 48% of abortions occurred to women over the age of 25, 29% were aged 20–24; 21% aged under 20 and 2% under 16.<ref>{{cite book | title = Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2006 | url = http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_075697 | publisher = [[Department of Health (United Kingdom)|Government Statistical Service for the Department of Health]] | date = 19 June 2007 | access-date = 1 November 2007 | archive-date = 6 December 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101206002417/http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_075697 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Conceptions leading to an abortion from 1969 to 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conceptions in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/conceptionandfertilityrates/bulletins/conceptionstatistics/2020 |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>
!Year
!1969
!1971
!1976
!1981
!1986
!1991
!1996
!2001
!2006
!2011
!2016
!2020
|-
|Percentage of conceptions leading to an abortion
|5.98%
|11.32%
|15.17%
|17.09%
|18.02%
|19.6%
|20.55%
|23%
|22.26%
|20.88%
|21.5%
|25.29%
|}
In 2004, there were 185,415 abortions in England and Wales. 87% of abortions were performed at 12 weeks or less and 1.6% (or 2,914 abortions) occurred after 20 weeks. Abortion is free to residents;<ref name=Rowlands /> 82% of abortions were carried out by the public tax-funded National Health Service.<ref name="dh.gov.uk">{{cite book | title = Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2004 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080708204212/http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/75/74/04117574.pdf | archive-date = 8 July 2008 | url = http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/75/74/04117574.pdf | publisher = [[Department of Health (United Kingdom)|Government Statistical Service for the Department of Health]] | date = 27 July 2005}}</ref>

The overwhelming majority of abortions (95% in 2004 for England and Wales) were certified under the statutory ground of risk of injury to the mental or physical health of the pregnant woman.<ref name="dh.gov.uk"/>

By 2009, the number of abortions had risen to 189,100. Of this number, 2,085 are as a result of doctors deciding that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would have such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously disabled.<ref>{{cite book | title = Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2009 | url = http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_116039 | publisher = [[Department of Health (United Kingdom)|Government Statistical Service for the Department of Health]] | date = 25 May 2010 | access-date = 19 January 2012 }}</ref>

In a written answer to [[Jim Allister]], the Northern Ireland health minister [[Edwin Poots]] disclosed that 394 abortions were carried out in Northern hospitals for the period 2005/06 to 2009/10 with the footnote that reasons for abortions were not gathered centrally.<ref>{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=Northern Ireland |house=[[Northern Ireland Executive]] | title = AQW 203/11-15 | url = http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/questions/printquestionsummary.aspx?docid=103773 | speaker = Edwin Poots | position = [[Department of Health (Northern Ireland)|Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety]] |date= 6 June 2011 }} [http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/answer-book/2011/110708.pdf#page=81&zoom=auto,-65,241 Pdf pp. WA 351.]</ref>

190,800 abortions were notified as taking place in England and Wales in 2013. 0.2% fewer than in 2012; 185,331 were to residents of England and Wales. The age-standardised rate was 15.9 abortions per 1,000 resident women aged 15–44 years; this rate increased from 11.0 in 1973, peaked at 17.9 in 2007, and fell to 15.9 in 2013.<ref>{{cite book | last = Nakatudde | first = Nambassa | title = Statistics on Abortion (Commons Briefing papers SN04418) | url = http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04418 | publisher = [[House of Commons Library]] | date = 6 October 2014 | access-date = 11 May 2017 | archive-date = 23 April 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170423165728/http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04418 | url-status = dead }} [http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN04418.pdf Pdf.]{{Dead link|date=January 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> For comparison, the EU average is only 4.4aabortions per 1,000 women in child-bearing age.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2018-02-04/local-news/300-to-400-Maltese-women-go-abroad-for-an-abortion-each-year-AD-chairperson-6736184440|title=300 to 400 Maltese women go abroad for an abortion each year |work=The Malta Independent}}</ref>

Since approval of abortion in the UK in 1967 to 2014, 8,745,508 abortions have been performed.

In 2018, the total abortions in England and Wales was 205,295. In this year, the abortion rate was highest for those of the age of 21, and 81% were for those who were single.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/808556/Abortion_Statistics__England_and_Wales_2018__1_.pdf|title=Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2018}}</ref>

===Public opinion surveys and polls===
{{Main|Societal attitudes towards abortion}}

Opinion polling and social attitudes surveys have regularly considered public opinion in relation to abortion in Britain since at least the 1980s. The [[British Social Attitudes]] (BSA) survey has asked a number of questions about abortion over the past 40 years and has found almost unanimous support for a right to have an abortion if the woman's health would be seriously endangered by going ahead with the pregnancy. Levels of support for abortion in a situation where the woman decides on her own she does not wish to have the child were lower, when the issue was considered in 2012, with just over six in ten (62 per cent) supporting and a third (34 per cent) opposing. However, this marked a considerable change since 1983 when 37 per cent thought the law should allow this while just over half (55 per cent) thought it should not.<ref>{{cite web |title=Personal relationships, Abortion |url=https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/latest-report/british-social-attitudes-30/personal-relationships/abortion.aspx |website=British Social Attitudes |publisher=NatCen social research |access-date=8 November 2022 |date=2012}}</ref>

The similar Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey has surveyed its respondents on abortion several times since 1998.  In that year, 43% said that it was "always wrong" for a woman to have an abortion on economic grounds (i.e. "if the family has a very low income and cannot afford any more children") with 14% saying it was "not wrong at all" and a variety of other responses in between.<ref>{{cite web |title=Do you personally think it is wrong or not wrong for a woman to have an abortion if the family has a very low income and cannot afford any more children? |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1998/Religious_Observance/ABORWRGB.html |website=www.ark.ac.uk/nilt |publisher=NILT |access-date=8 November 2022 |date=1998}}</ref> The same responses were broadly found in 2008, when a large percentage of people (39 per cent) also affirmed that an embryo was "a human being at the moment of conception".<ref>{{cite web |title=People have different views about the beginnings of human life. In your opinion, is an embryo a human being at the moment of conception? |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2008/Religious_Observance/EMBHUMAN.html |website=www.ark.ac.uk/nilt |publisher=NILT |access-date=8 November 2022 |date=2008}}</ref>

A specific set of questions, asked by the Life and Times Survey in 2016 and 2018, covered a wide range of issues around abortion and found the following levels of support for a range of potential grounds for abortion:
* 58% – fatal abnormality in unborn child;
* 54% – pregnancy caused by sexual crime;
* 46% – serious threat to health of pregnant woman;
* 45% – serious abnormality in unborn child;
* 25% – pregnant woman aged 15 (under age of consent);
* 18% – pregnant woman aged 51;
* 17% – pregnant woman prefers not to have children;
* 13% – pregnant woman who is living on low income;
* 12% – pregnant woman who has become unemployed;
* 11% – pregnant woman who is about to begin a new job.<ref>{{cite web |title=Module: Abortion |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/results/abortion.html |website=www.ark.ac.uk/nilt |publisher=NILT |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref>

An Amnesty International poll in 2014 also indicated that a majority of people in Northern Ireland agreed with changes in abortion law for three particular grounds i.e. where a pregnancy has occurred due to rape, or incest, or where a fatal foetal abnormality (or life-limiting condition) has been diagnosed in the unborn child.<ref>{{cite book | last = Millward Brown | author-link = Millward Brown | title = Attitudes to abortion | url = https://www.amnesty.org.uk/sites/default/files/milward_brown_poll_results_october_2014_final_0.pdf | publisher = [[Amnesty International]] | date = October 2014 }}</ref><ref name="NL_221004">{{cite news | last = Rainey | first = Mark | title = Seven out of 10 people in NI back a relaxation of abortion law – survey | url = http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/seven-out-of-10-people-in-ni-back-a-relaxation-of-abortion-law-survey-1-6371138 | work = [[The News Letter|News Letter]] | location = Belfast, Northern Ireland | date = 22 October 2014 }}</ref>

A [[YouGov]]/''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' survey in 2005 measured British public opinion regarding the [[Gestational age (obstetrics)|gestational age]] at which abortion should be permitted, with the following levels of support:
*2% – abortion being available throughout pregnancy;
*25% – maintaining the term limit of 24 weeks;
*30% – reducing the term limit to 20 weeks;
*19% – reducing the term limit to 12 weeks;
*9% – reducing the term limit to less than 12 weeks; and
*6% – abortion not being allowed at any stage.<ref>{{cite web | title = YouGov/Daily Telegraph Survey Results | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081029172727/http://www.yougov.com/archives/pdf/TEL050101042_1.pdf | archive-date = 29 October 2008 | url = http://www.yougov.com/archives/pdf/TEL050101042_1.pdf | website = yougov.com | publisher = [[YouGov]] | date = 30 July 2005 | access-date = 11 May 2017}}</ref>

A further 2011 poll by [[Ipsos MORI|MORI]] surveyed women's attitudes to abortion and found that:
*53% agreed that if a woman wanted an abortion, she should not have to continue with her pregnancy (compared with 22% who neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement and 17% who disagreed);
*37% agreed with the statement that "too many women do not think hard enough before having an abortion" (with 28% disagreeing and 26% neither agreeing nor disagreeing);
*46% disagreed with introducing more restrictions on obtaining an abortion (with 23% agreeing and 23% neither agreeing nor disagreeing).<ref>{{cite web | title = Public Attitudes towards Abortion | url = https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/public-attitudes-towards-abortion | website = ipsos.com | publisher = [[Ipsos MORI]] | date = 5 September 2011}} [https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/migrations/en-uk/files/Assets/Docs/Polls/BPAStabs.PDF Pdf of data.]</ref>