Public Health Scotland has today (Tuesday 27 May) published the 2024 Abortion Statistics for Scotland.
In 2024, there were 18,710 abortions, marking a 3% increase from the previous year’s 18,242 cases. The report points out, that this “reflects a sustained upward trend over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2024, the average monthly number of abortions increased by 50%, indicating a significant long-term growth”.
The data shows wide differences in abortion rates across different socioeconomic groups. In 2024, women living in the most deprived areas of Scotland had an abortion rate of 24.5 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, double the rate of 12.2 observed in the least deprived areas.
The proportion of abortions performed before nine weeks’ gestation decreased from a peak of 84% in 2021 to 79% in 2024. The most common method, of abortion, accounting for 57% of all terminations, involved women taking both mifepristone and misoprostol at home. All NHS boards in Scotland now offer some form of early medical abortion at home.
Commenting on the statistics, SPUC CEO John Deighan said:
“These are devastating statistics and they should chill us all, over 1500 abortions per month are being carried out in Scotland, at a time when our population is falling and our birth-rate is collapsing. Every single abortion represents a tragic loss of human life and potential.”
“To realise that a third of all viable pregnancies are being deliberately ended by abortion is beyond distressing. Why such a determined effort to kill off the next generation? Our future needs us to welcome children, not invest public money to promote their deaths.”
Mr Deighan added:
“The use of “at-home” medical abortions, a practice extended beyond the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to greater numbers of abortions, while opening the door to coercion, and abuse. SPUC calls on the Scottish Government to reinstate in-person consultations for abortion which allow at least some form of assessment to be made about the physical and mental health of women and at least the possibility of detecting coercion or abuse.”
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