Legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Legally induced abortions by mother's age was 197,659 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
197,659
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
5th
of 54 countries
All-time high
212,277
in 2007
All-time low
23,600
in 1968
Years of data
47
1968–2016

Legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom, 1968–2016

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k196819922016

Source: Eurostat.

Analysis

The most recent figure for legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom is 197,659, measured in 2016.

The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom peaked at 212,277 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 23,600, in 1968.

United Kingdom ranks 5th of 54 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.

Legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom, 1968 to 2016.
Year Value Change
1968 23,600 —
1969 58,400 +147.5%
1970 91,819 +57.2%
1971 133,100 +45.0%
1972 167,500 +25.8%
1973 174,600 +4.2%
1974 170,500 -2.3%
1975 147,029 -13.8%
1976 136,800 -7.0%
1977 140,300 +2.6%
1978 148,900 +6.1%
1979 157,500 +5.8%
1980 168,808 +7.2%
1981 171,500 +1.6%
1982 171,400 -0.1%
1983 170,600 -0.5%
1984 179,100 +5.0%
1985 181,062 +1.1%
1986 181,914 +0.5%
1987 183,736 +1.0%
1988 193,926 +5.5%
1989 194,183 +0.1%
1990 197,131 +1.5%
1991 190,590 -3.3%
1992 182,887 -4.0%
1993 179,780 -1.7%
1994 178,268 -0.8%
1995 174,781 -2.0%
1996 189,473 +8.4%
1997 191,855 +1.3%
1998 199,887 +4.2%
1999 185,869 -7.0%
2000 186,359 +0.3%
2001 189,200 +1.5%
2002 187,801 -0.7%
2003 193,890 +3.2%
2004 197,530 +1.9%
2005 199,081 +0.8%
2006 206,904 +3.9%
2007 212,277 +2.6%
2008 209,199 -1.4%
2009 202,211 -3.3%
2010 202,506 +0.1%
2011 202,402 -0.1%
2012 197,569 -2.4%
2015 197,906 +0.2%
2016 197,659 -0.1%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 197,659 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15,082, 13.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 197,659 is above the median for high income countries, which is 15,440, 12.8× the median. (28 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1969 +147.5% 23,600 58,400
1970 +57.2% 58,400 91,819
1971 +45.0% 91,819 133,100
1972 +25.8% 133,100 167,500

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 41,000 23,600 58,400 2
1970s 146,805 91,819 174,600 10
1980s 179,623 168,808 194,183 10
1990s 187,052 174,781 199,887 10
2000s 198,445 186,359 212,277 10
2010s 199,608 197,569 202,506 5

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 3 France 251,059 compare
  2. 4 Metropolitan France 212,285 compare
  3. 5 United Kingdom 197,659 compare
  4. 7 Germany 106,218 compare
  5. 8 Spain 106,172 compare

See the full ranking of 55 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom?
Legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom was 197,659 in 2016, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest legally induced abortions by mother's age recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 212,277 in 2007.
What is the lowest legally induced abortions by mother's age recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 23,600 in 1968.
How does United Kingdom rank for legally induced abortions by mother's age?
United Kingdom ranks 5th out of 54 countries with data for 2016.
Is legally induced abortions by mother's age rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Legally induced abortions by mother's age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Legally induced abortions by mother's age in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/legally-induced-abortions-by-mother-s-age/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Legally induced abortions by mother's age
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
55 places, 1,744 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed