Abortion rate in Scotland 2023, by age of woman

In 2023, 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women were carried out in Scotland and were performed on women between the ages of 20 and 24. This age group accounted for the highest rate of abortions performed in Scotland. The age group 25 to 29 years had an abortion rate of 24.3 per 1,000 women. 

Abortion in the rest of the UK

In England and Wales in 2020, the age group 20 to 24 years had the highest rate of abortions, as was the case in Scotland. The rate of 29.8 abortions per 1,000 women was higher than in Scotland. Furthermore, the abortion rate for women aged 25 to 29 years in England was 26.3 per 1,000 in 2020. It is the age group of those under 16 years of age, which has the highest share of conceptions leading to abortion in England and Wales in 2019, with almost 55 percent of conceptions in this age group leading to an abortion.

Comparison with age of mothers giving birth

In England and Wales, the most common age for a mother giving birth was the age group 30 to 34 years, with 104.7 births per 1,000 women in 2019, while the age group 25 to 29 years had 88.3 births per 1,000 women.