Over 100 girls under age 15 had an abortion last year

The number of girls up to age 15 who had an abortion rose to over 100 for the first time in years in 2021, according to the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate. The Inspectorate spoke of a “remarkable increase” but did not explain the spike.

Last year, 101 teens under 15 had a pregnancy terminated, compared to 58 in 2020 and 70 in 2019. In the years before, the number of abortions in young teenagers also did not exceed 100 cases - 49 in 2018, 68 in 2017, 65 in 2016, and 83 in 2015.

The total number of abortions decreased in 2021 compared to 2020, according to the Inspectorate. Since 2011, the number of pregnancy terminations has been around 30,000 per year.

The number of abortions among teenagers up to the age of 19 also showed a “steady decline” since 2002. This decline appears to have stagnated in recent years. The number increased in 2019, but that increase did not continue in 2020. In 2021 there was a slight rise. A total of 2,383 teenagers had abortions last year, 28 more than in 2020.

Most abortions (85 percent) were performed in the first trimester of pregnancy - in the first 13 weeks - last year, according to the Inspectorate. The other 15 percent happened in the second trimester. In the Netherlands, abortion is permitted up to 24 weeks into pregnancy. After that, it is only allowed if there are serious medical reasons.

In 2021, 9.5 percent of women who had an abortion in the Netherlands fell into the “foreign women” category. These involve women who do not have Dutch health insurance, like women who traveled to the Netherlands for an abortion, migrant workers, or international students. Women on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba are also included in this category. The share of “foreign women” in the total figures increased slightly compared to 2020 but decreased compared to 2019.