Historical abortion statistics, Australia
compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 15 August 2005
| year | live births | abortions, legal | abortions, legal reported | abortions, abroad | miscarriages | abortion ratio | abortion % |
| 1960 | 230,326 | | | | | | |
| 1961 | 239,986 | | | | | | |
| 1962 | 237,081 | | | | | | |
| 1963 | 235,689 | | | | | | |
| 1964 | 229,149 | | | | | | |
| 1965 | 222,854 | | | | | | |
| 1966 | 223,731 | | | | | | |
| 1967 | 229,296 | | | | | | |
| 1968 | 240,906 | | | | | | |
| 1969 | 250,175 | | | | | | |
| 1970 | 257,516 | 1,330 | 1,330 | | | 5.2 | 0.5 |
| 1971 | 276,361 | 2,519 | 2,519 | | | 9.1 | 0.9 |
| 1972 | 264,969 | | | | | | |
| 1973 | 247,670 | | | | | | |
| 1974 | 245,177 | | | | | | |
| 1975 | 233,012 | | | | | | |
| 1976 | 227,810 | | | | | | |
| 1977 | 226,291 | | | | | | |
| 1978 | 224,181 | | | | | | |
| 1979 | 223,129 | | | | | | |
| 1980 | 225,527 | | | | | | |
| 1981 | 235,842 | | | | | | |
| 1982 | 239,903 | | | | | | |
| 1983 | 242,570 | | | | | | |
| 1984 | 234,034 | | (55,150) | | | 235.6 | 19.1 |
| 1985 | 247,348 | 65,240 | 56,371 | | | 263.8 | 20.9 |
| 1986 | 243,408 | 69,296 | 59,876 | | | 284.7 | 22.2 |
| 1987 | 243,959 | 69,752 | 60,271 | | 1,087 | 285.9 | 22.2 |
| 1988 | 246,193 | 72,240 | 62,420 | | 1,141 | 293.4 | 22.7 |
| 1989 | 250,853 | 76,862 | 66,414 | | 1,094 | 306.4 | 23.5 |
| 1990 | 262,648 | 80,113 | 69,223 | | 1,198 | 305.0 | 23.4 |
| 1991 | 257,247 | 81,430 | 70,361 | 31 | 1,150 | 316.5 | 24.0 |
| 1992 | 264,151 | 85,003 | 73,448 | 32 | 1,171 | 321.8 | 24.3 |
| 1993 | 260,229 | 85,153 | 74,902 | | 939 | 327.2 | 24.7 |
| 1994 | 258,051 | 87,965 | 77,627 | 32 | 898 | 340.9 | 25.4 |
| 1995 | 256,190 | 90,182 | 78,237 | 24 | | 352.0 | 26.0 |
| 1996 | 253,834 | 89,076 | 78,072 | 23 | | 350.9 | 26.0 |
| 1997 | 251,842 | 87,497 | 76,216 | 21 | | 347.4 | 25.8 |
| 1998 | 249,616 | 86,862 | 75,788 | 14 | 1,336 | 348.0 | 25.8 |
| 1999 | 248,870 | 85,731 | 74,001 | 15 | 1,284 | 344.5 | 25.6 |
| 2000 | 249,636 | 86,931 | 75,543 | 21 | 1,793 | 348.2 | 25.8 |
| 2001 | 246,394 | 88,306 | 77,046 | 14 | | 358.4 | 26.4 |
| 2002 | 250,988 | 86,552 | 75,906 | 13 | | 344.8 | 25.6 |
| 2003 | 251,220 | 84,460 | 73,623 | 13 | | 336.2 | 25.2 |
| 2004 | 59,742 | | 72,897 | 18 | | | |
| 2005 | | | 34,730 | | | | |
| year | live births | abortions, legal | abortions, legal reported | abortions, abroad | miscarriages | abortion ratio | abortion % |
Note: Abortion figures for 2004 are through October only. See Abortion Statistics page for additional explanatory notes.
Sources:
- ACT Right to Life Association, March 2001, "Missing Children, Damaged Mothers: ACT Abortion Statistics 1999-2000," on line, ACT Right to Life Association [http://www.actrtla.org.au/abortion/Abortion_stats_1999-2000.pdf].
- ACT Right to Life Association, Feb. 2002, "Information Towards a Solution: ACT Abortion Statistics 2000-2001," on line, ACT Right to Life Association [http://www.actrtla.org.au/pdf/100302_booklet4.pdf].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, "Australian Historical Population Statistics, Table 36. Births registered by sex, states and territories, 1824 onwards," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/D7B2096CC25E4313CA256DAF007F634A].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 18 Nov. 2003, "Births, Australia," on line, Australian Bureau of Statistics [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs%40.nsf/e8ae5488b598839cca25682000131612/ff9e15176d6887d8ca2568a9001393b2!OpenDocument].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002, "Confinements resulting in multiple births," on line, Australian Bureau of Statistics [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/729445ea93dfe747ca256b20007eb589?OpenDocument].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 11 June 2002, "Older mothers and less babies--a 25 year trend," on line, Australian Bureau of Statistics [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs%40.nsf/e5cb0b45f4547cc4ca25697500217f47/3b21dc2123d0a74bca256c69007a0262!OpenDocument].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 22 Feb. 2005, "Demography," on line, Australian Bureau of Statistics [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/].
- Central Intelligence Agency, 2003, "Australia," in World Factbook 2003, on line, CIA [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/as.html].
- Chan, Annabelle, and Leonie C. Sage, 2005, "Estimating Australia's abortion rates 1985-2003, Medical Journal of Australia, 182:447-452, on line at MJA [http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/182_09_020505/cha10829_fm.html].
- Chan, Annabelle, Joan Scott, Anh-Minh Nguyen, and Paula Green, Nov. 2003, "Pregnancy Outcome in South Australia 2002," Department of Health Services, Government of South Australia, on line [http://www.dhs.sa.gov.au/pehs/pregnancyoutcome.htm].
- Dept. for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis, Statistics Division, 1997, 1995 Demographic Yearbook, 47th ed., United Nations (New York, NY).
- Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs, 2002, 2000 Demographic Yearbook, 52nd ed., United Nations (New York, NY).
- Dept. of International Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office, 1976, 1975 Demographic Yearbook, 27th ed., United Nations (New York, NY).
- Dept. of International Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office, 1992, 1990 Demographic Yearbook, 42nd ed., United Nations (New York, NY).
- HIC, 2005, "Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Item Statistics Reports," on line, HIC [http://www.hic.gov.au/statistics/dyn_mbs/forms/mbs_tab4.shtml].
- Maternal and Child Health Unit, Department of Health, Western Australia, July 2005, "Induced Abortion in Western Australia 1999-2004: Report of the WA Abortion Notification System," Department of Health, Government of Western Australia, on line [http://www.health.wa.gov.au/publications/documents/Abortion%20Report%20FINAL2.pdf].
- Pratt, Angela, Amanda Biggs, and Luke Buckmaster, 14 Feb. 2005, "How many abortions are there in Australia? A discussion of abortion statistics, their limitations, and options for improved statistical collection," Parliament of Australia, Department of Parliamentary Services, on line [http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RB/2004-05/05rb09.pdf].
- Queensland Right to Life, "Number of abortions conducted in Australia," on line, Queensland Right to Life [http://www.qrtl.org.au/abort/facts.htm].
- United Nations, Statistics Division, 17 March 2000, "5. Live births by age of mother, sex and urban/rural residence: 1948-1997," on line United Nations: Demographic Yearbook, Historical Supplement [http://157.62.21.4/SHARE1/UN%20Demographics/html/table05/05604205.htm].
© 2000-2004, 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 15 August 2005.
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