Facts on Induced Abortion Worldwide

The number of induced abortions declined worldwide between 1995 and 2003, from nearly 46 million to approximately 42 million. About one in five pregnancies worldwide end in abortion. For every 1,000 women of childbearing age (15–44) worldwide, 29 were estimated to have had an induced abortion in 2003, compared with 35 in 1995. The decline in abortion incidence was greater in developed countries (from 39 to 26 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44) than in developing countries, where more than half are unsafe and illegal (from 34 to 29). Most abortions occur in developing countries — 35 million annually, compared with seven million in developed countries — a disparity that largely reflects the relative population distribution. Guttmacher Institute