The number of abortions carried out in England and Wales has reached its highest level since the Abortion Act was introduced in 1967, according to Government statistics published today.

The number of abortions in 2023 reached 277,970, an 11% increase from 2022. The rate per 1,000 women also climbed, from 21.5 to 23.4.

2023 saw a record high for abortions in England and Wales

Number of abortions per year 2013-23 in 100,000s

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The announcement comes after MPs voted last year to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales, following a bill introduced by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi. The legislation, the most significant overhaul of abortion law in six decades, prevents police from investigating those who carry out the procedure. Despite being a free vote, it passed with a commanding majority of 242.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer supported the bill, stating that “my longstanding in-principle position is that women have the right to a safe and legal abortion.” Labour MP Stella Creasy also supported the law but put forward a separate amendment to enshrine a “right” to abortion under UK law, which was not selected.

Today’s figures also show that, despite a consistent drop in abortions for under-18s in previous years, the figure has been steadily rising again since 2022. That figure had dropped from 11,679 in 2013 to 6,273 in 2021. But in this latest round of statistics, there were 8,205 abortions recorded for under-18s in 2023.

Figures in the data also suggested that the rate at which abortions were performed medically, rather than surgically, increased to its highest ever level at 82%. However, the number of surgical abortions increased in both 2022 and 2023.

Abortion was legalized in Britain under the 1967 Abortion Act, which made it legal for any woman to have an abortion up to 28 weeks into the pregnancy. In 1990, changes were made to the act, including reducing time limits from 28 to 24 weeks. In 2008, MPs voted to retain the legal limit at 24 weeks after campaigners sought to reduce the limit to 22 and even 20 weeks.