A record number of abortions took place in England and Wales last year - as medical leaders call for protected spaces around clinics to prevent women being harassed by anti-abortion demonstrators. There were 214,869 abortions reported in 2021, which is up from 210,860 during the pandemic, and the highest number since the Abortion Act was introduced in 1967.
That means the abortion rate has increased to 18.6 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 - also the highest on record - rising from 18.2 in 2020. But among girls under the age of 18, the abortion rate has fallen to 6.4 per 1,000 girls, dropping from 6.9 in 2020 and from 15.0 a decade ago in 2011.
Experts believe the overall increase is partly because of changes to the law, allowing women to have abortions at home. This may have been coupled with the financial pressures brought by the pandemic and its aftermath, along with rising costs - meaning money troubles are likely to play a part in decisions to continue a pregnancy.
