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There are 25.5 million unsafe abortions worldwide each year

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
 
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11 December 2017, 09:00

According to the latest study by the World Health Organization and the American Guttmacher Institute, which deals with reproductive health issues, 55.7 million abortions are performed worldwide each year, 46% of which – 25.5 million – are considered unsafe. 24 million annual abortions (97% of all unsafe abortion procedures) occur in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Between 2010 and 2014, approximately 55% of all abortions (30.6 million per year) were safe (medical abortion or vacuum aspiration); 30.7% of all abortions (17.1 million) were classified as less safe (for example, if the abortion was performed by curettage). And 8 million abortions (14.4% of all abortions worldwide) were classified as dangerous, as they were performed by unskilled persons using dangerous or invasive methods (e.g., use of chemicals, introduction of foreign bodies, etc.). Almost all abortions in developed countries (87.5%) were safe, with similar rates by region. The exception was Eastern Europe, where unsafe abortions accounted for over 14.2% of pregnancy terminations. The share of dangerous abortions in Western Asia exceeded 48%, in Southeast Asia – 40%, and in southern Africa – 26.5%. In countries where abortions are prohibited by law, almost a third (31.3%) of abortions were classified as the most dangerous for the life and health of women.

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