The number of abortions that took place in England and Wales reached a new record high of 278,740 in 2023, according to new official figures. This represents an increase of 10.5pc on the year before and means that one pregnancy in every three ends in abortion in England and Wales. When you add in figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland, just under 300,000 abortions took place in the UK in 2023.
Commenting on the figures, Right to Life UK said: “That almost 300,000 lives have been lost to abortion across the UK in just one year is a clear sign that something has gone very wrong in our society. Having children is essential to the future prosperity of our country. Children are to be prized and celebrated, with full support and compassion offered when pregnancies are unplanned”.
The fertility rate for England and Wales has also fallen to 1.41, well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
