Northern Ireland Abortion Rates Rise for Fifth Consecutive Year

Since the legalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland in 2019, the number of procedures has continuously increased, marking a significant shift in a region that once had some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the UK.

Abortion was legalized in the rest of the United Kingdom in 1968, but Northern Ireland maintained stringent laws until the intervention of the UK government in 2019. This change was not a result of local consensus but was driven by an amendment to the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act, introduced by Labour MP Stella Creasy.

With the absence of a local Executive by October 2019, sections 58–59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 were repealed, effectively decriminalising abortion as of 22 October 2019.

Data shows that since the decriminalisation, the number of abortions has been on the rise annually, starting with 1,574 in the year ending 31 March 2021, and reaching 2,899 by the year ending 31 March 2025.

Belfast has emerged as the area with the highest number of abortions, with the Belfast Trust performing 797 procedures, closely followed by the South Eastern Trust with 676.

The statistics reveal a 102.63% increase in abortions at 13 weeks and beyond, with 154 such procedures recorded in the latest year compared to 76 the previous year. Additionally, 19 abortions were performed under ground E of the regulations, which include non-fatal disabilities like Down’s syndrome, cleft lip, and club foot, up from 16 in 2022.

Catherine Robinson, a spokesperson for Right To Life UK, described the disability-related abortion figures as “tragic”. She criticized the “extreme” abortion laws imposed by Westminster and highlighted that the previous stringent laws potentially saved 100,000 lives in Northern Ireland.

“It is a great tragedy that 2,899 lives were lost to abortion in Northern Ireland for the year ended 31 March 2025,” she stated. “Stormont must act now to take back control and remove this inhumane abortion regime that was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster.”