Abortions up 10% in the Netherlands last year, rising above 39,000

Last year, there were 39,332 abortions in the Netherlands, an increase of around 3,700 compared to 2022, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) reported on Wednesday based on figures from all hospitals and abortion clinics in the country. The number of pregnancy terminations fluctuated between 30,000 and 33,000 per year since 2012, but there has been a clear increase for two years, the Inspectorate said.

Most women who terminated a pregnancy last year were in the age groups 30 to 34 years and 25 to 29 years last year. These age categories also saw the largest increase in the number of abortions last year.

The number of teenage abortions in women and girls under 20 increased less rapidly. Last year, 2,890 teenagers had an abortion, 188 more than in 2022. Last year just over 100 girls under the age of 15 terminated a pregnancy.

The number of foreign women who had a pregnancy terminated in the Netherlands remained virtually the same at 3,261. In 2022, there were 3,258.

Last year, 87 percent of abortions happened in the first trimester of pregnancy.

“The law stipulates that the data the IGJ receives on this subject does not lend itself to establishing a connection between the figures,” the Inspectorate said. “The IGJ can, therefore, not provide an explanation for increases or decreases in the figures on the various components.”