Abortion statistics released by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland show that 2,792 lives were ended through abortion in the year from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, an increase of 624 (28.78%) from the year ending 31 March 2023.
This is the largest increase in Northern Ireland in a single year since abortion on demand was introduced to Northern Ireland and a 77% increase compared to the year ending 31 March 2021 when there were 1,574 abortions.
It is also the largest year-on-year percentage increase in lives lost to abortion in any region of the UK over the last 50 years.
The 2,792 abortions represent an increase of 624 (28.78%) from the previous year when there were 2,168 abortions. It also represents an increase of 77.38% compared to the year ending 31 March 2021 when there were 1,574 abortions.
There was a 61.70% increase in late abortions at 13 weeks and over. 76 babies were aborted at 13 weeks and over, up from 47 for the year ending 31 March 2023. This represents a 90% increase from the year ending 31 March 2022 when there were 40 babies aborted at 13 weeks and over. There were 48 abortions that took place in Northern Ireland that did not have a gestation recorded, so there were potentially more abortions that took place after 13 weeks.
There was a 56.25% increase in disability-selective abortions for ‘non-fatal disabilities’ that took place under ground E of the 2020 Regulations compared to the year ended 31 March 2022.
25 babies with ‘non-fatal disabilities’ were aborted under ground E, an increase of 56.25% compared to the 16 babies who were aborted during the year ending 31 March 2022.
Under ground E, babies with Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot can be aborted right through to birth. The gestations at which these ground E abortions took place are not published in the statistics.
There were 72 abortions for children under 18 years old, a 20% increase on the previous year. This represents a 56.52% increase from the year ending 31 March 2021, when there were 46 abortions where a child was under 18 years old.
The Belfast Trust performed the most abortions, carrying out 793 abortions, representing an increase of 125 (18.71%) from the previous year. The Northern Trust performed 610 abortions, representing an increase of 38 (6.64%) from the previous year. The South Eastern Trust performed 558 abortions, this represents an increase of 121 (27.69%) from the previous year. The Southern Trust performed 523 abortions, representing an increase of 108 (26.02%) from the previous year. The Western Trust performed 308 abortions, representing an increase of 232 (305.26%) from the previous year.
Despite abortion being a devolved issue, English, Welsh and Scottish MPs in Westminster voted in July 2019 to impose an extreme abortion regime on Northern Ireland. No MPs representing a Northern Ireland constituency voted in support of imposing the new regime on Northern Ireland.
The figures represent a very large increase compared to the number of abortions that were taking place in England and Wales for Northern Ireland residents prior to abortion being imposed on Northern Ireland, along with the small number of abortions that took place in Northern Ireland. This demonstrates that the introduction of an extreme abortion regime to Northern Ireland has likely resulted in the lives of many more babies from Northern Ireland being lost to abortion.
In 2018, 1,053 abortions for Northern Ireland residents were carried out in England and Wales, and 1,014 in 2019. For the year ended 31 March 2018, 12 abortions took place in Northern Ireland and 8 for the year ended 31 March 2019.
Carla Lockhart, MP for Upper Bann, said “I am calling on MLAs to take urgent action to bring forward legislation to Stormont to repeal this horrific abortion law that was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster and return Northern Ireland to being a country with a strong pro-life law that protects and supports both lives – mother and child”.
“It’s heartbreaking to hear that 2,792 precious lives were lost to abortion in Northern Ireland and this represents a 29% increase”.
“This is the largest increase in Northern Ireland in a single year since abortion on demand was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster. It’s also the biggest percentage increase in abortions in any region of the UK over the last 50 years”.
“The figures also show a tragic 62% increase in late abortions that were performed on babies between 13 weeks and birth”.
“A large number of babies with disabilities have also had their lives ended by abortion. Tragically in Northern Ireland, babies with Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot can be aborted right through to birth”.
100,000 alive today as a result of Northern Ireland’s previous pro-life laws
Prior to this extreme abortion regime being imposed on Northern Ireland, there were strong protections for the unborn, with abortion limited to situations when a mother’s life was in danger.
As a result of the previous pro-life laws that were in place in Northern Ireland, in January 2017 it was estimated that 100,000 people were alive in Northern Ireland who would not have been if abortion were available as it was in the rest of the UK under the 1967 Abortion Act.
An estimated one in ten people under 50 were alive because of Northern Ireland’s distinctive abortion laws. The Northern Ireland group, Both Lives Matter, who commissioned an economist to conduct this analysis said close to 3,000 people were “being born each year who might not otherwise be. That’s equivalent to around 100 school classes every year”.
The 100,000 figure was confirmed by the Advertising Standards Authority in 2017.
Prior to the extreme abortion law being imposed on Northern Ireland, polling from ComRes showed a strong majority of women in Northern Ireland rejected interference from Westminster on this sensitive issue with two-thirds agreeing that this was a decision for Northern Ireland. The strongest support among age groups surveyed came from the youngest age group, 18-34 year olds, with 70% agreeing that they did not want abortion law imposed on Northern Ireland from Westminster.
Protecting babies with disabilities
Before the new abortion regime was imposed on Northern Ireland, disability-selective abortion for conditions such as Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot was not permitted and there was a culture of welcoming and supporting people with these disabilities rather than eliminating them.
This was reflected directly in 2016 figures from the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, which show that while there were 52 children born with Down’s syndrome in Northern Ireland, in the same year only 1 child from Northern Ireland with Down’s syndrome was aborted in England and Wales.
Prior to the extreme abortion regime being imposed, Northern Ireland was recognised as a society that truly valued people with disabilities as equally human, rather than one who claims to have moved on from outdated attitudes towards disabilities but at the same time routinely singles out babies with these disabilities for abortion.
At the time, Lord Shinkwin, who himself has a disability, said “Northern Ireland is the safest place in our United Kingdom to be diagnosed with a disability before birth”.
The extreme abortion regime imposed on Northern Ireland included a provision that effectively legalised abortion up to birth for babies with disabilities including Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot.
Strong support for change
Polling shows large majorities of women in the UK support a number of changes to abortion laws that would have a positive impact on lowering the number of abortions. The polling shows that 70% of women want the current time limit on abortion to be lowered and 91% of women want a ban on sex-selective abortion.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “It is a great tragedy that 2,792 lives were lost to abortion in Northern Ireland for the year ended 31 March 2024”.
“The figures represent a very large increase compared to the number of abortions that were taking place in England and Wales for Northern Ireland residents prior to abortion being imposed on Northern Ireland, along with the small number of abortions that took place in Northern Ireland”.
“This demonstrates that the introduction of an extreme abortion regime to Northern Ireland has likely resulted in the lives of many more babies from Northern Ireland being lost to abortion”.
“Figures released in 2017 showed that 100,000 people were alive in Northern Ireland because of their strong pro-life laws, laws that sadly no longer exist”.
“Stormont must act now to take back control and remove this Inhumane abortion regime that was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster”.
