Following the news that abortion has reached record levels in Scotland, the Catholic Church in the country has called for greater support for pregnant women and has expressed concern about the increase in abortions on the grounds of disability.
Latest figures from Public Health Scotland show that last year there were 18,783 abortions in the country, representing a rise of 55 per cent from the 12,135 procedures conducted in 2016. The rise cannot be attributed to population growth, with figures also showing that the abortion rate per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 rose from 11.9 in 2016 to 17.6 in 2025. In both per capita and gross terms, abortion is rising.
The figures also revealed that in 2025 there were 277 disability-selective abortions, a rise of 61 per cent from 2018. There was also a 50 per cent increase in abortions carried out in the 18th-20th week of pregnancy. The legal limit for abortion is 24 weeks.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland said the figures underlined the need for a compassionate response towards women facing difficult pregnancies.
Bishop John Keenan, President of the Conference, said, “Behind every figure is a unique human life, created with inherent dignity, and a mother who may be facing fear, isolation or hardship. These numbers should prompt not resignation, but a renewed determination to build a society where every life is welcomed and protected.
“The Church does not underestimate the real challenges that can accompany a crisis or unexpected pregnancy. Women deserve practical, emotional and financial support, not a culture that too often presents abortion as the only solution.”
The bishop urged the Scottish government to facilitate a culture that would support and value both pregnant women and unborn children, rather than seeing abortion as an easy answer.
“Scotland should aspire to be a nation where compassion means standing with both mother and child, and where the dignity of every human life is defended from conception to natural death," he said.
A review into abortion law in Scotland, commissioned by former First Minister, Humza Yousaf, recommended that abortion be permitted for any reason prior to the 24-week limit.
The review, while stating that the 24-week limit should be retained, also states that abortions after the limit can occur if certain conditions are met. Those conditions, however, are vague and subjective, one such being consideration of “the patient’s current and reasonably foreseeable physical, psychological and social circumstances”.
Right to Life UK has warned that if the recommendations were implemented, Scotland would have “one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world”.
