Abortion Statistics: Year ended December 2011

In the year ended December 2011:

• 15,863 abortions were performed in New Zealand, the lowest number since 1999 (15,501).
• The general abortion rate was 17.3 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, down from 18.1 per 1,000 in 2010.
• Women aged 20–24 years had the highest abortion rate (33 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20–24 years).
• The median age of women having an abortion was 25 years.
• Most abortions (62 percent) were a woman's first abortion.
• 55 percent of abortions were performed before the 10th week of the pregnancy.