Corrections made to abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2022
Updated 9 April 2025
Applies to England and Wales
漏 Crown copyright 2025
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Since the statistics were first published in May 2024, we have published 2 sets of corrections (in December 2024 and April 2025).
The corrections are listed in full below. Correction notices have also been added to the 鈥榙ata tables鈥� and 鈥榓dditional data tables鈥� spreadsheets, and some of the data in these tables has been amended.
December 2024 corrections
Correction 1: number of abortions and rates for 鈥楤ristol, City of鈥� and 鈥楴orth Somerset鈥�
An issue has been identified with the data for 鈥楤ristol, City of鈥� and 鈥楴orth Somerset鈥�. This was due to a small error found in the calculations used. This affected the number of abortions and rates presented for these local authorities.
Tables 10c, 10d, 11c and 11d
Figures for the number of abortions by local authority of residence have been revised:
- a decrease of 3 in the number of abortions in 鈥楤ristol, City of鈥� - this affects the number of abortions and rates for those aged 鈥�30 to 34鈥� and 鈥�35 plus鈥� by a maximum of 0.1 abortions per 1,000 women
- an increase of 3 in the number of abortions in 鈥楴orth Somerset鈥� - this affects the number of abortions and rates for those aged 鈥�30 to 34鈥� and 鈥�35 plus鈥� by a maximum of 0.2 abortions per 1,000 women
Correction 2: rate of abortions by index of multiple deprivation (IMD)
An issue has been identified with the rate of abortions by IMD in England and Wales. This is due to an error found in the calculations used.
The commentary on IMD in the document 鈥楢bortion statistics, England and Wales: 2022鈥� has also been amended. IMD聽analysis for Wales has been removed.
Table 14a
There have been small changes in the abortion rates by IMD and region for residents of England, by a maximum of 0.9 per 1,000 abortions.
Table 14b
There have been small changes in the abortion rates by IMD and age for residents of England, by a maximum of 0.7 per 1,000 abortions.
Table 14c
Data has been removed on abortion rates by IMD and age for residents of Wales.
The Welsh Government has advised in an (WIMD) that it does not plan to rework the latest IMD (WIMD 2019)聽to be based on the new 2021 lower layer super output areas (LSOAs) instead of the 2011 LSOAs. Therefore, we have not published abortions by WIMD for 2022. Abortions by WIMD will be published once the next update to the index is released.
April 2025 corrections
Correction 1: age grouping for 35 to 39 year olds
Figures for the age-standardised rate of abortions and the crude rate of abortions for 35 to 39 year olds by IMD decile have been revised due to a coding error found in the calculations used to group those aged 35 to 39.
Table 1
The age-standardised rate of abortions has increased from 20.6 to 21.1 abortions per 1,000 women.
Tables 10b and 10d and additional table 9b
The age-standardised rate of abortions has increased across local authorities and sub integrated care boards (sub-ICBs) by a maximum of 0.8 per 1,000 women.
Table 14b
The crude rate of abortions by IMD decile has increased for those aged 35 to 39 by a maximum of 2.5 per 1,000 women.
Correction 2: NHS funded abortions under 10 weeks
Figures for the number and percentage of NHS funded abortions under 10 weeks have been revised due to an error found in the calculations used in the tables.
Table 11a and 11c
There has been a decrease in the number and percentage of NHS funded abortions under 10 weeks. At a national level, this is a decrease of 10,040 and 4 percentage points.
The number and percentage across local authorities (and sub-ICBs) has decreased by a maximum of 338 (553 for sub-ICBs) abortions and 18 percentage points.
Correction 3: ONS population data update
Since publishing the 2022 abortion statistics, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has corrected and revised its 2022 mid-year population estimates.
Table 3 and 4a
There has been a decrease in the crude rate of abortions for:
- individual ages between 16 and 18 (by a maximum of 0.2 per 1,000 women)
- the age groupings under 18, 18 to 19, and 30 to 34 years (all by 0.1 per 1,000 women)
The crude rate at a national level has not changed.
Table 14a and 14b
There has been a change in the crude rate of abortions by IMD decile across:
- regions, by a maximum of 2.3 per 1,000 women
- age groupings, by a maximum of 2.5 per 1,000 women
Correction 4: crude rates under 14 and under 15
Figures for the crude rate of abortions for those under 14 and under 15 have been revised due to an error in the calculations used to group these age groups.
Table 4a
There has been an increase in the crude abortion rates for those aged:
- under 14, by 0.1 per 1,000 women
- under 15, by 0.2 per 1,000 women
Correction 5: rate of abortion complications for 10 to 12 weeks鈥� gestation
The rate of abortion complications for 10 to 12 weeks鈥� gestation has been revised due to an error in the calculations used in the tables.
Table 8
There has been a decrease in the rate of abortion complications for 10 to 12 weeks鈥� gestation, from 3.0 to 2.9 per 1,000 abortions.
Correction 6: percentage of abortions by purchaser
The percentage of abortions that are NHS funded and NHS independent sector funded have been revised due to an error in the calculations used in the tables.
Table 5
There have been changes in the percentage of abortions that are NHS funded and NHS independent sector funded by gestations by a maximum of 2 percentage points.
Correction 7: medical treatment in additional tables
Figures for the number of abortions by medical treatment have been revised due to an error found in the calculations used in the tables.
Additional table 3 and additional table 6
There has been a decrease in the number of abortions where mifepristone and misoprostol have been administered, broken down by where both pills were taken, by gestation weeks and by grounds, by a maximum of 822 abortions.
Additional table 8
There has been an increase in the number of abortions where other medical agents were administered, broken down by gestation weeks, by a maximum of 103 abortions.
Correction 8: abortion complications by type and method
Figures for the number of abortions complicated by sepsis, by method of abortion, have been revised due to an error found in the calculations used in the tables.
Additional table 4
There has been:
- an increase of 2 abortions complicated by sepsis that were medical
- a decrease of 2 abortions complicated by sepsis that were surgical
The overall number of abortions complicated by sepsis remains unchanged.