The number of abortions performed on Northland women last year dropped by more than 10 per cent, with increased access to contraception and more use of antenatal scans possibly behind the fall.
Figures released by Statistics NZ show that in 2012 there were 14,745 induced abortions performed across the country - 1118 fewer than in 2011 - with 474 in Northland, 58 fewer than in 2011 and the region's second lowest total in the past 10 years.
Northland's abortions are carried out at Whangarei Hospital, but some women from the region go to clinics in other regions to have their terminations. More than half of the abortions on Northland women - 249 - were in the under 25 age group.
Abortion Law Reform Association president Morgan Healey said better contraception appeared to be playing a role in the continued decline in abortions, but much more could be done to make newer contraceptives accessible and affordable.
"Anecdotal evidence about rising use of long-acting reversible contraception together with [the latest] statistics suggest these new methods may be helping to reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion," Dr Healey said.
"We'd like to see more research that could confirm these links, but in the meantime Alranz renews its call for the Government to ensure contraception is affordable and accessible for those who want it."
Dr Healey said statistics showed around 50 per cent of women having abortions in New Zealand were not using any form of contraception when they got pregnant, something the Abortion Supervisory Committee has said it's concerned about.
"Making contraception more freely available is the obvious first step in addressing that concern," she said.
However, Steve Jaunay, Whangarei-based administrator/treasurer resident of right-to-life group Voice for Life Whangarei, said the figures seemed to indicate a continuing downward trend though no one seemed to know why.
"It has been said that the increased access to scans is helping young women appreciate what is actually happening inside of them. Also there has been increased awareness lately of the benefits of [sexual] abstinence in some young people," Mr Jaunay said.
Dr Healey said the statistics showed that the drop in the abortion rate nationally to 16.1 per 100,000 women was the lowest since 1995, while the majority of abortions - 62.1 per cent - were a woman's first.