The Guttmacher Institute estimates 56 million induced abortions occur each year worldwide.
The global annual rate of abortion for all women of reproductive age (15–44) was estimated to be 35 per 1,000 in 2014, which is a reduction from the 1990–1994 rate of 40 per 1,000. The estimated global abortion rate in 2014 was 35 per 1,000 for married women and 26 per 1,000 for unmarried women.
Women in developing regions have a higher likelihood of having an abortion than those in developed regions — 36 vs. 27 per 1,000.
Globally, 25% of all pregnancies end in abortion. Of all abortions, an estimated 55% are safe (i.e., done using a recommended method and by an appropriately trained provider);
31% are less safe (meet either method or provider criterion);
14% are least safe (meet neither criterion).
The more restrictive the legal setting, the higher the proportion of abortions that are least safe—ranging from less than 1% in the least-restrictive countries to 31% in the most-restrictive countries.
Source: The Guttmacher Institute, with thanks to Anna McCormack
When allowed by law, abortion in the developed world is one of the safest procedures in medicine.
When performed legally and safely, induced abortions do not increase the risk of long-term mental or physical problems.
In contrast, unsafe abortions (those performed by unskilled individuals, with hazardous equipment, or in unsanitary facilities) cause 47,000 deaths and 5 million hospital admissions each year.
The World Health Organization recommends safe and legal abortions be available to all women.
Source: Wikipedia
More than 95% of abortions in Africa and Latin America are performed under unsafe circumstances, as are almost 60% of abortions in Asia, excluding China.
54% of all unsafe abortion-related deaths occur in Africa. In addition to the over 70 000 women who die from unsafe abortion each year, 5 million women suffer temporary or permanent disability due to complications of unsafe abortion.
Source: Iqbal Shah and Elisabeth Åhman, “Unsafe Abortion: Global and Regional Incidence, Trends, Consequences, and Challenges.”
Africa
An estimated 93% of women of reproductive age in Africa live in countries with restrictive abortion laws.
Abortion is not permitted for any reason in 10 out of 54 African countries.
Source: The Guttmacher Institute
Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America and the Caribbean, abortion is not permitted for any reason in six countries (Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Suriname). Nine others allow it almost exclusively to save the woman’s life, with only some offering limited exceptions for rape (Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Panama) and grave fetal anomaly (Chile, Panama and almost half of the states of Mexico).
Source: The Guttmacher Institute
In 2006, Nicaragua adopted a penal code that completely banned abortion, even in cases of rape, incest, life- or health-threatening pregnancies, or severe fetal impairment.
Under Nicaragua’s criminal code, women and girls who terminate pregnancies face sentences of up to two years in prison, and medical professionals can be sentenced to up to six years for providing abortions.
The Nicaraguan government has published little data on enforcement of the abortion ban, and no information on the health effects, including on maternal mortality.
A 2016 report, drawing on the scant data that exists, concluded that between 2003 and 2013, some 290 people were denounced (accused in a police report or complaint) or detained pursuant to the abortion ban.
Source: Human Rights Watch (see also: Honduras, El Salvador.)
“Brazil is a world leader in illegal abortions: One [1997] study placed the number at 1.5 million per year, approximately the same number as are legally performed in the United States, whose population is about 100 million more than that of Brazil.”
Source: Jane Jaquette (ed.), The Women’s Movement in Latin America
India
Every day 13 women die in India due to unsafe abortion-related causes. Nearly 6.4 million pregnancies are terminated every year in India. Unsafe abortion, the third leading cause of maternal deaths in the country, contributes eight per cent of all such deaths annually.
Source: India Today
Every two hours a woman dies in India because of an abortion that goes horribly wrong.
Source: BBC