More than 65,000 abortions have been performed in the Republic of Ireland since abortion services were introduced in 2019, according to newly released figures from the Department of Health in Ireland.
The latest statistics show that 10,600 abortions were recorded during 2025, a slight decrease from the previous year but one that campaigners say does not alter the longer-term trend.
Responding to the figures, the Prolife Campaign urged the Irish Government to review its approach to abortion, arguing that the latest data suggests women facing unplanned pregnancies need more support.
The organisation said the cumulative total means that more than 65,000 abortions have occurred since the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act came into force in 2109, following the 2018 referendum.
Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Eilís Mulroy described the figures as “deeply concerning,” saying they showed that “1 in every 6 babies in Ireland now loses their life to abortion”.
Although the annual total edged down slightly in 2025, Ms Mulroy argued that the overall increase since the legislation was introduced should remain the focus.
“The truth is that abortions have increased from 2,879 in 2018 (the year before the new law took effect) to the massive numbers taking place today,” she said. “It’s 65,000 reasons why government policy in this area has to change.”
Ms Mulroy also criticised what she described as the absence of a dedicated State-funded service focused exclusively on helping women who are uncertain about proceeding with an abortion and wish to explore alternatives.
She argued that publicly funded agencies dealing with unplanned pregnancies are primarily structured around facilitating access to abortion, adding that “zero public funding” is directed to guaranteeing that women are offered information about continuing their pregnancies or the support available to them
Ms Mulroy continued: “We hear from women all the time who regret their abortions and describe feeling rushed, pressured, or carried along by the process, only to be left feeling abandoned and failed by the State afterwards.”
She also questioned proposals to remove Ireland’s mandatory three-day reflection period before an abortion, saying such changes would further increase abortion numbers rather than address underlying concerns.
While critical of successive governments’ approach, she said Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill had shown “a greater willingness” than previous ministers to engage with concerns raised by pro-life organisations.
Ms Mulroy urged the Government to place greater emphasis on alternatives to abortion, warning that if the upward trend in abortion numbers is not addressed, the issue is likely to become an increasingly prominent political debate before the next general election.
She concluded: “Without action, nothing will change and there is every danger the reforms needed will not occur during the lifetime of this Government. Women and their babies deserve so much better than this status quo continuing. A healthy democracy depends on the representation of different viewpoints in public decision-making.”
