Abortion statistics in England and Wales
Data sets and publications relating to abortion statistics for England and Wales.
In England and Wales, within the terms of the Abortion Act 1967, only a registered practitioner can terminate a pregnancy. Practitioners carrying out an abortion must complete an abortion notification form (HSA4) and submit it to the Chief Medical Officer.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has a responsibility to monitor the Abortion Act and produce abortion statistics. It has processes in place to check the abortion notification forms and to publish the subsequent data.
Using abortion statistics
With approval from the Chief Medical Officer, the abortion statistics are used for research.
DHSC publishes:
- information on who uses abortion statistics and how they use them
- a guide for academic researchers who want to use abortion statistics
- information on the codes used in processing information from the HSA4 forms
Abortion statistics before 2011
Abortion statistics on this site start at 2011. Statistics for previous years are available on the National Archives website.
Contact the abortion statistics team
Documents
- Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2021
- Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2020
- Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2019
- Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2018
- Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2017
- Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2016
- Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2015
- Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2015
- Report on abortion statistics in England and Wales for 2014
- Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2014
- Reporting of abortions with fetal abnormalities 2013
- Abortion notification forms for England and Wales
- Report on abortion statistics in England and Wales for 2013
- Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2013
- Report on abortion statistics in England and Wales for 2012
- Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2012
- Report on abortion statistics in England and Wales for 2011
- Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2011
Last updated 21 June 2022 + show all updates
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Added abortion statistics for 2021 to collection.
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Added abortion statistics for 2020 to collection.
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Added abortion statistics for 2018 to collection and updated email address for the abortion statistics team to abortion.statistics@dhsc.gov.uk.
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Added 'Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2017' to collection.
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Added 2016 abortion statistics.
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First published.