Abortion numbers drop

The number of abortions performed in New Zealand dropped last year.

According to Statistics New Zealand figures released today, 17,940 induced abortions were performed in the year ending December 2008, down 440 (2.4 per cent) from the 2007 year.

The decrease followed increases of 2.5 per cent between 2006 and 2007 and 2.3 per cent between 2005 and 2006.

The number of abortions of women aged between 15 and 44 decreased from 20.1 per 1000 in 2007 to 19.7 per 1000 in 2008.

The peak rate was 20.8 per 1000 in 2003.

Women aged 20 to 24 years had more abortions than any other age group last year, with a rate of 37 abortions per 1000 women.

The median age of the women was 24.3 years.

Most abortions performed last year (63 per cent) were the women's first.

- NZPA