Media statement
London, 4th March 2020 – Today’s ONS Statistics for England and Wales, show that:
- In 2018, there were an estimated 839,043 conceptions to women of all ages in England and Wales compared with 847,204 in 2017, a decrease of nearly 1.0%.
- The percentage of conceptions leading to a legal abortion among all women resident in England and Wales increased from 22.7% in 2017 to 24.0% in 2018, the highest percentage since records began in 1990.
Marie Stopes UK’s Medical Director Jonathan Lord said:
“Both the reduction in the conception rate and the 1.3% increase in the abortion rate show that women are choosing to have fewer children. This highlights that it is more important than ever that women of all ages have access to the full range of contraceptive options and if that contraception fails, good quality abortion services, which we are here to provide.”
For further information please contact:
Email: press@mariestopes.org.uk
Telephone: 02070342377/ 07769166516
