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Key facts

In 2006, for women resident in England and Wales:

• the total number of abortions was 193,700, compared with 186,400 in 2005, a rise of 3.9%
• the age-standardised abortion rate was 18.3 per 1,000 resident women aged 15-44, compared with 17.8 in 2005
• the abortion rate was highest at 35 per 1,000, for women age 19.
• the under-16 abortion rate was 3.9 and the under-18 rate was 18.2 per 1,000 women, both higher than in 2005
• 87% of abortions were funded by the NHS; of these, just over half (55%) took place in the independent sector under NHS contract
• 89% of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation; 68% were at under 10 weeks
• medical abortions accounted for 30% of the total compared with 24% in 2005
• 2,000 abortions (1%) were under ground E, risk that the child would be born handicapped

Non-residents:

in 2006 there were 7,400 abortions for non-residents carried out in hospitals and clinics in England and Wales (7,900 in 2005)

• Download Statistical bulletin - Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2006 (PDF, 900K)
• Download Abortion statistics, England and Wales 2006, tables in Excel format (XLS, 1384K)