âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Abortion numbers reached a record high in 2023, with an estimated 299,614 abortions taking place across Britain.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Department of Health and Social Care, Right To Life UK, and British abortionists.
đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: 2023, United Kingdom.
đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “It is a national tragedy and a national scandal that so many lives were lost to abortion in England and Wales in 2023.” – Catherine Robinson
🎯IMPACT: The figures have prompted calls for a national conversation about abortion laws, and renewed pressure for the British government to release the figures for more recent years, which they have been delaying.
Britain recorded its highest number of abortions in 2023, with an estimated 299,614 procedures carried out across the country, according to official figures. Data released by the Department of Health and Social Care show that 278,740 abortions took place in England and Wales, an increase of 10.56 percent compared with the previous year. Scotland reported 18,242 abortions, while Northern Ireland recorded an estimated 2,632, bringing the total to a new national high.
The increase came during the third consecutive year in which at-home abortion services have been widely available in England and Wales. These services, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, allow women to receive abortion pills following a remote consultation, rather than attending a clinic in person. Supporters argue the model improves access to care, while critics say it reduces medical oversight and safeguards, and allows people to acquire abortifacients without the consent of the expectant mother.
Right To Life UK has responded to the figures by calling for a nationwide discussion on abortion law and policy. The group has emphasized the need for stronger protections for unborn children alongside expanded practical and financial support for women facing unplanned pregnancies. Polling cited by the organization suggests that a majority of women support changes to current abortion regulations, including the reinstatement of mandatory in-person consultations.
Catherine Robinson, a spokeswoman for Right To Life UK, said, “It is a national tragedy and a national scandal that so many lives were lost to abortion in England and Wales in 2023.” Pro-life organizations stress that figures for more recent years are unavailable because the British government is delaying their release, suspecting they show abortions have increased even more since 2023.
The British debate is unfolding amid wider international controversy over abortion. In Canada, undercover footage released has reignited criticism from pro-life groups by showing how easily late-term abortions can be accessed. The United States appears to be the only Anglo-Sphere country countering the growing abortion trend. President Donald J. Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, introduced last year, has led to the closure of several abortion-providing clinics by restricting public funding.
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