Abortions in the Netherlands increased by nearly 15% in 2022

More women chose to terminate their pregnancies last year than the year before. The number of abortions increased by almost 15 percent, reaching a total of 35,606, the Dutch healthcare and youth care inspectorate (IGJ) reported in an annual report published on Thursday.

This increase was roughly consistent across all age groups. Among teenagers, the rise in abortions was slightly less, yet still increased by 13 percent. Women aged 30 to 35 most frequently choose to terminate their pregnancies, followed by those between 25 and 30 years old.

The number of abortions had slightly declined in 2020 and 2021.

Nine out of ten women who had an abortion in a hospital or specialized clinic reside in the Netherlands. The proportion of foreign women increased slightly, accounting for 9.2 percent of the total.

In the Netherlands, abortion is legally permissible in most cases up to 24 weeks. In practice, 22 weeks is generally the accepted duration, given that determining the exact length of the pregnancy is not always precise. After the 24th week, a doctor may only terminate the pregnancy for serious medical reasons, for example, because the fetus is not viable outside the mother’s body.

The IGJ does not offer a clear explanation for the rise in the number of abortions. While clinics and hospitals are required to provide data to the inspectorate, due to privacy regulations, they do not have the means to further analyze the data. This is stipulated by law to ensure abortions cannot be traced back to individuals.