Spain has recorded a total of 103,097 abortions in 2023, which is 4,781 more than in 2022, where a total of 98,316 were carried out voluntary terminations of pregnancy (IVV). This data represents an increase of 4.8% compared to 2022 data and 8.7% more than in 2014.
As reported by the Ministry of Health this Saturdaycoinciding with World Safe Abortion Day, in 2023, the rate of voluntary terminations of pregnancy in Spain reached 12.22 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44.
These data, taken from the study on the IVE carried out in Spain during the year 2023, exceed both the rate of 11.68 recorded in 2022 and that of 10.46 in 2014, which indicates an increase in the incidence of this procedure in recent years.
At the regional level, significant differences were observed. Catalonia has the highest ratewith 14.92 IVE per 1,000 women, followed closely by the Community of Madrid, with a rate of 13.92. On the other hand, Galicia records the lowest rate, with 7.28 per 1,000 women, followed by Extremadurawith 7.6 per 1,000 women and Aragon with 8.4 IVE per thousand women.
75.19% of IVEs were performed during gestations of eight weeks or less and 66.99% of women had never had a voluntary abortion before.
Regarding lifestyle, 30.69% of women lived as a couple and 58.01% were workers on behalf of others. There is also a slight increase in the percentage of women with a bachelor’s degree or similar professional training and university education. 65.52% of these women were of Spanish nationality, while 16.04% were of South American nationality.
69.77% of interventions were performed using the surgical method, although the pharmacological is already the majority in some communities such as Cantabria (96.50%), Navarra (76%), Balearic Islands (74%), La Rioja (68%), Galicia (59.6%) and Catalonia (55.74%) %).
By age, The incidence rate has increased in all age groups, particularly among those aged 19 and less. In 2023, 10,934 IVEs were recorded in children under the age of 20, representing an increase of 4.78 percent compared to 2022. Additionally, the report specifies that 46.50 percent of women do not have not used no contraceptive method.
This is why the Ministry of Health emphasizes the importance of continuing to work on sexual and reproductive education, as well as access to contraceptive methods to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.
Centers
In relation to the type of center, 81.45% of IVEs were carried out in private centers. The number of centers having declared IVEs stands at 230, compared to 222 in 2022. Hospital centers declared 16,845 IVEs; 8,201 in public and 8,644 in private.
In total, 86,252 occurred in non-hospital centers: 10,924 in public and 75,328 in private. In total, 98,850 voluntary terminations of pregnancies took place at the woman’s request; due to a serious risk to the life or health of the pregnant woman, 3,294; because of the risk of serious abnormalities in the fetus, 2,688; and for fetal anomalies incompatible with life or extremely serious and incurable illnesses, a total of 263.
