--- title: "277,970 lives terminated by abortion in England and Wales in 2023" date: 2026-01-15T11:18:00+00:00 author: Lisa Curry canonical_url: "https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/277-970-lives-terminated-by-abortion-in-england-and-wales-in-2023" section: Articles --- Share [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1769260916495219&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2F277-970-lives-terminated-by-abortion-in-england-and-wales-in-2023) [](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=277%2C970%20lives%20terminated%20by%20abortion%20in%20England%20and%20Wales%20in%202023&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2F277-970-lives-terminated-by-abortion-in-england-and-wales-in-2023) [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/send?app_id=1769260916495219&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2F277-970-lives-terminated-by-abortion-in-england-and-wales-in-2023&link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2F277-970-lives-terminated-by-abortion-in-england-and-wales-in-2023&display=popup) [](mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20Evangelical%20Alliance&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2F277-970-lives-terminated-by-abortion-in-england-and-wales-in-2023) #### This number is staggering. It is the highest number recorded since the Abortion Act 1967 and a rise of 11% from 2022. We have waited two years for this report, and the scale of what it reveals is staggering — [277,970 abortions for residents of England and Wales](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2023/abortion-statistics-commentary-england-and-wales-2023). That averages to 762 abortions every day; 32 per hour and one abortion every two minutes. Significant gaps in data remain. The latest figures do not include information on social deprivation. The two most predictive factors of an abortion decision for many years have been marital status and social deprivation. We do know that 81% of abortions were for women whose marital status was given as single (not included in the main findings but available in the data tables). From [previous government data](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2022) we also know that women living in the most deprived areas were up to three times more likely to have an abortion. The report calls for caution regarding abortions for disability and post-abortion complications with significant under-reporting of both. This raises serious concerns about transparency, policy direction, and the long-term impact on women, babies, and society. Sponsored[](#) [ ![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ](https://www.oakhill.ac.uk/admissions/open-days) The reasons for such a significant delay in publishing these figures remain unclear. Gaps in the figures directly impact the lives and health of women and babies. Yet, during that two-year wait, abortion activists have sought to introduce the most significant changes to abortion legislation since 1967; changes that remove safeguards including in-person care. > Gaps in the figures directly impact the lives and health of women and babies.” Abortion law and healthcare regulation must be grounded in timely, comprehensive, and reliable data, warning that policy decisions made in the absence of such information risk serious harm. The newly published figures show an 11% rise in abortions — the stark outcome of nearly six decades of state-sponsored abortion provision. The result of almost 60 years of government-funded abortion is now here in black and white for all to see. These numbers are a public record of 278,000 lives — boys and girls — who were never born. They also represent over 278,000 women who, for many reasons, did not continue their pregnancies and give birth. We cannot view these figures just as abstract data points. These statistics must not be dismissed as numbers on a spreadsheet or points on a graph. They represent real women and real babies, and their impact reaches far beyond individual lives — shaping British society and culture itself. > The result of almost 60 years of government-funded abortion is now here in black and white for all to see.” The current system can no longer credibly be described as pro-choice. With every new abortion report, it becomes increasingly clear that this is not a genuinely pro-choice health and social system. Instead, it is one that prioritises funding, providing, and promoting one choice and one outcome — abortion. The legal requirement to collect abortion data and record abortion statistics is not a box-ticking exercise. Understanding the ​‘why’ is essential if we are to respond to women’s real needs and address the social and structural failures that drive abortion. This is particularly urgent for women who report that abortion was not their preferred choice. [Many women tell us](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/beths-story-lack-of-support) they would have chosen life for their baby if a genuine, practical alternative had been available. These figures demand that policymakers listen to those voices and act. #### Note: Non-residents of England and Wales account for an additional 770 abortions in 2023. This brings the total number of lives terminated by abortion in England and Wales in 2023 to 278,740. --- [ ![Both Lives Podcast](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Web card BL POD 772x564](https://eauk.org/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,quality=90,width=400,fit=cover/https://cdn.eauk.org/Web-card-BL-POD-%E2%80%93-772x564.png) ](https://www.eauk.org/what-we-do/initiatives/both-lives/both-lives-podcast) [#### Both Lives Podcast ](https://www.eauk.org/what-we-do/initiatives/both-lives/both-lives-podcast) Listen to find out what it means to pursue the wellbeing of both women and unborn children [ Find out more ](https://www.eauk.org/what-we-do/initiatives/both-lives/both-lives-podcast) [](https://www.eauk.org/what-we-do/initiatives/both-lives/both-lives-podcast) [ ![What the decriminalisation of abortion really means in practice](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![C45f4f1f 80d2 4277 9a41 a03f3c1a0d6a](https://eauk.org/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,quality=90,width=400,fit=cover/https://cdn.eauk.org/c45f4f1f-80d2-4277-9a41-a03f3c1a0d6a.png) ](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/what-the-decriminalisation-of-abortion-really-means-in-practice) [#### What the decriminalisation of abortion really means in practice ](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/what-the-decriminalisation-of-abortion-really-means-in-practice) Evangelicals must speak up and speak out for both lives; women and the unborn [ ![Mark Gilmore](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ](/author/mark-gilmore) [ Mark Gilmore ](/author/mark-gilmore) 12 June 2025 [](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/what-the-decriminalisation-of-abortion-really-means-in-practice) --- [@McAvoyDawn](https://x.com/McAvoyDawn) ### About Dawn McAvoy ![]()Dawn McAvoy leads Both Lives, a UK-wide initiative advocating for both lives in every pregnancy. Both Lives champions laws that protect, services that enable and a culture that affirms women and children pre- and post-birth. [See more from Dawn McAvoy](/author/dawn-mcavoy)