Abortion Statistics: 2002

Abortion Statistics: 2002

The abortion rate (number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years) rose from 19.1 in 2001 to 20.0 per 1,000 in 2002, according to Statistics New Zealand.

There were 17,400 abortions performed in New Zealand during the December 2002 year, about 1,000 or 6 percent more than in 2001 (16,400).

The age group 20–24 years remains the most common age for abortions, accounting for approximately 3 out of 10 abortions in 2002. Women in this age group had the highest abortion rate of any age group (38.9 abortions per 1,000), followed by those aged 25–29 years (26.6 per 1,000) and teenagers aged 15–19 years (25.7 per 1,000). Over the last decade, abortion rates have increased for all age groups, though by varying amounts.

Between 2001 and 2002, the abortion rate for teenagers increased by 8 percent, while that for women aged 20–24 years increased by 5 percent. The average age of women having an abortion in 2002 was 26.3 years, compared with 26.5 years in 2001.

Brian Pink
Government Statistician
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