MEDIA RELEASE: Abortions increase 25% since law change

MEDIA RELEASE 18 April 2024

Abortions increase 25% since law change

Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020.

According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life, the provisional figures show a 14% increase in abortions from 14,164 abortion procedures in 2022 to 16,214 last year (2023).

It is the highest number of abortions since 2011. Abortions have been falling and remaining at a low level until 2021 when they started trending upwards.

This latest figure represents an average of almost 45 child per day killed in the womb in New Zealand. 

 Disturbingly, there has been a 25% increase in abortions since the end of 2019 when the number was just 12,948.

 However, this is the sad reality which we predicted would happen when the law was changed.

Medical abortions are also on the increase – but according to the Abortion Services Aotearoa NZ report released last year and covering abortions up to the end of 2022, 221 women suffered complications including haemorrhaging, retained products, infections and even failed abortions (up from 161 the previous year – an almost 40% increase) and this risk was greater with medical abortions. 60% of complications were with medical abortions. For 57 medical abortions, they couldn’t even find the woman to follow up.

Our abortion law denies the humanity of the baby and creates inconsistency with other legislation and public health messaging for pregnant women which clearly recognises the rights of the unborn child. Anybody who has viewed the ultrasound of an unborn child will know that this law is a gross abuse of human rights.

We will continue to fight for the rights of the unborn child and the welfare of pregnant mothers.