The number of abortions performed in Britain hit another high in 2023, according to official government statistics released this week.
The Department of Health & Social Care revealed this week that there were 277,970 abortions in England and Wales in 2023, a record high since the Abortion Act was passed in 1967, legalising the practice.
The government recorded an 11 per cent increase over 2022, or 26,593 more abortions.
The rate of abortions also hit a record high, with 23 abortions being performed per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 44 years old.
All age groups saw their respective abortion rates increase, including those under the age of 18, who saw an increase from 6.4 in 2021 to 7.8 per 1,000 women in 2023.
There has also been a steady increase in abortions among women over the age of 35, rising from 7.1 per 1,000 women in 2013 to 12.3 per 1,000 women in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, the highest rate recorded in 2023 was among women aged 20 to 24, at 39.4 abortions per 1,000 women.
The sharp increase in abortions appears to be linked to the increasing use of at-home abortion pills, a process which became widespread during the Coronavirus lockdowns and was instituted into law in 2022 by the so-called Conservative government of Boris Johnson.
According to the Department of Health, abortion through at-home pills accounted for 72 per cent of all abortions in 2023, or 200,745 cases. This represented an increase of 48,340 abortions over the previous year.
Others pointed to the cost-of-living crisis in Britain as a primary driver of the increase in abortion.
Katie Saxon of the BPAS abortion provider said per The Guardian: “These figures reflect the first full year of abortion care during the cost of living crisis, which is essential context for understanding the rise in abortion rates.
“No woman should have to end a pregnancy she would otherwise have continued purely for financial reasons. Equally, no woman should become pregnant because she is unable to access the contraception she wants, when she needs it.”
She said that women “continue to tell us about long waits for contraceptive appointments, difficulties securing repeat prescriptions, and limited choice in the methods available to them. Emergency contraception also remains an important but underutilised backup option.”
