Abortion Statistics: Year ended December 2009

In the year ended December 2009:

• 17,550 abortions were performed in New Zealand, down from 17,940 in 2008.
• The general abortion rate was 19.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, down from 19.7 per 1,000 in 2008, and lower than the peak rate of 20.8 per 1,000 in 2003.
• Women aged 20–24 years had the highest abortion rate (36 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20–24 years).
• The median age of women having an abortion was 24 years.
• Most abortions (63 percent) were a woman's first abortion.