The number of women under 18 seeking abortions in England and Wales has almost halved over the past ten years, alongside a significant increase in pro-life attitudes among the UK’s young people.
Figures from 2022, the most recent available data, show a sharp decrease in the number of women under 18 obtaining abortions. In 2012, the rate stood at 12.8 per 1,000 women; by 2022, it had fallen to 7.6, a 41.1 per cent decrease. This mirrors a wider reduction in the conception rate, which stood at 13.2 per 1,000 women in 2021 — a steep drop from 30.9 in 2011. The decline is likely due to a combination of factors, including teenagers becoming sexually active later and greater access to contraception.
