There were a record 2,899 abortions in Northern Ireland in the year from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, an increase of 104 (3.72%) from the year ending 31 March 2024, according to statistics released by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.
The statistics, released yesterday, show the highest number of abortions in a single year in Northern Ireland and an 84% increase compared to the year ending 31 March 2021, when there were 1,574 abortions.
There was also a 103% increase in late abortions at 13 weeks and over, with 154 abortions occurring at 13 weeks and over, up from 76 for the year ending 31 March 2024. This represents a 285% increase from the year ending 31 March 2022, when there were 40 babies aborted at 13 weeks and over. 60 abortions that took place in Northern Ireland did not have a gestation recorded, so there may have been more abortions that took place after 13 weeks.
The statistics show that there was a 19% increase in disability-selective abortions for ‘non-fatal disabilities’ from the year ending 31 March 2022. Under ground E of the 2020 Regulations, 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.
Additionally, there was also a 61% increase in abortions for girls under 18 years old from the year ending 31 March 2021.
The latest statistics also reveal an increase (2.78%) in abortions for girls under 18 years old. 74 abortions took place where a child was under 18 years old, up from 72 for the year ending 31 March 2024. However, there was a significant increase of 60.87% from the year ending 31 March 2021, when there were 46 abortions where a child was under 18 years old.
The largest number of abortions took place in the Belfast Trust, carrying out 797 abortions. South Eastern Trust performed 676 abortions, representing an increase of 118 (21.15%) from the year ending 31 March 2024. The Western Trust performed 352 abortions, representing an increase of 44 (14.29%) from the year ending 31 March 2024. The Northern Trust performed 563 abortions, representing a decrease of 47 (7.7%) from the year ending 31 March 2024. The Southern Trust performed 511 abortions, representing a decrease of 12 (2.29%) from the year ending 31 March 2024.
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.
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 that 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 2,899 lives were lost to abortion in Northern Ireland for the year ended 31 March 2025”.
“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”.
“The statistics also show there was a 103% increase in late abortions at 13 weeks and over, with 154 abortions occurring at 13 weeks and over, up from 76 for the year ending 31 March 2024″.
“There has also been a tragic 19% increase in disability-selective abortions for ‘non-fatal disabilities’ from the year ending 31 March 2022. Under ground E of the 2020 Regulations, babies with Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot can be aborted right through to birth”.
“Stormont must act now to take back control and remove this inhumane abortion regime that was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster”.
