Almost one in three pregnancies in England and Wales were terminated in an abortion in 2023, according to newly released official statistics into conceptions across the two countries.
Figures newly published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there were 871,050 conceptions in England and Wales during 2023. Of these 279,970 were aborted - 13.0% higher than the 247,705 recorded in 2022, and 35.2% higher than the last pre-Covid year in 2019, when there were 207,045 conceptions leading to abortion.
At the same time, although the total number of conceptions increased, the number resulting in live births saw almost no change.
The increase in abortions has been recorded across every age group, even as teenage pregnancy rates continue to fall.
Women aged 30 to 34 recorded both the greatest number of conceptions (260,810) and the largest conception rate (118.9 per thousand women) for the seventh consecutive year.
They were also the least likely age group to have an abortion, with 22.4 % of conceptions ending in termination compared to over half of pregnancies among women under the age of 20 ending in abortion.
The overall teenage conception rate remained at a record low of 28 conceptions per 1,000 women, with fewer than 20,000 conceptions recorded.
Among women aged over 40, conception rates reached their highest level on record (17.6 per 1,000 women), while the share of pregnancies resulting in abortion rose from 28.3% in 2013 to 38% in 2023.
The figures also highlight differences according to relationship status.
Around 12% of conceptions among married women and those in civil partnerships resulted in abortion in 2022 in contrast to 37.9% among unmarried women. Only 2.3% of women who conceived outside of marriage got married before the birth of their child.
Regionally, the West Midlands recorded the highest conception rate, while the South West had the lowest - at 80.9 and 64.8 per 100 women respectively.
The rise in abortions over the last few years has been linked to the introduction of the pills-by-post service. It was first introduced during Covid to allow abortion pills to be delivered in the mail following a phone or online consultation up to the tenth week of pregnancy.
Data released by the government in January showed that abortion numbers reached record levels in 2023, prompting renewed calls for a national debate on abortion laws and safeguards.
Critics have pointed to the increased risk of harm to women and girls, and have repeatedly called for the reintroduction of in-person medical consultations prior to accessing abortion pills by post.
However, in March parliamentarians backed changing the law to allow DIY abortions up to birth without any criminal sanctions, and rejected an amendment that would have reintroduced in-person consultations.
