Scotland Reports Highest Ever Abortion Numbers

20.06.2025

According to new figures first reported by Right to Life UK, abortion numbers in Scotland have reached a devastating all-time high. In 2024, 18,710 abortions were carried out, up from 18,242 the previous year. This marks the highest number on record and reflects a troubling upward trend in Scotland’s abortion statistics.

The abortion rate among women aged 15 to 44 rose to 17.9 per 1,000, up from 17.5 in 2023. Even more distressing is the 81.82% increase since 2021 in the number of babies with Down’s syndrome who were aborted, with a 15.38% rise just in the past year alone.

Nearly 41% of all abortions in 2024 were repeat procedures, with 7,670 women undergoing abortion after having had one previously — a stark indicator of how entrenched abortion has become in the culture. There were also 280 abortions on the basis of disability, a 62.79% increase compared to 2018.

Meanwhile, the political push continues to expand abortion access even further. In September, the SNP passed a resolution calling for abortion to be written into the constitution of an independent Scotland as a "fundamental right." Such a move would remove any legal safeguards and could make abortion legal up to birth for any reason, placing Scotland among the most extreme abortion regimes in the world.

These numbers are not just statistics — they represent thousands of precious lives lost.