Rising cost of living linked to 11% increase in abortion rate

The rising cost of living and a lack of access to contraception have driven another rise in abortion rates in England and Wales, providers say.

- Hannah Al-Othman

Government statistics released yesterday showed abortions rose by 11% in 2023 compared with 2022. The age-standardised abortion rate for women was 23.0 abortions per 1,000 residents, the highest rate since the Abortion Act was passed in 1967.

“These figures reflect the first full year of abortion care during the cost of living crisis, which is essential context for understanding the rise in abortion rates,” said Katie Saxon, the chief strategic communications officer of BPAS, one of the country's largest abortion providers. “No woman should have to end a pregnancy she would otherwise have continued purely for financial reasons. Equally, no woman should become pregnant because she is unable to access the contraception she wants, when she needs it.”