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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Caroline Davies and agency

Number of abortions in England and Wales hits record levels

Abortion England Wales BPAS MSI Reproductive Choices
A woman holds a pregnancy test
Experts say the cost of living crisis and a lack of access to contraception has led to the increase in abortions. Photograph: Aleksandr Davydov/Alamy

The number of abortions in England and Wales has reached record levels, with financial pressures believed to be a factor in why women are choosing not to have a baby.

There were 251,377 abortions for women resident in the two nations in 2022, official figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) show, which is the highest since the Abortion Act was introduced almost 60 years ago and a rise of 17% on the 2021 figure.

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