--- title: Abortion Rates Reach Historic Low in Developed Countries description: Abortion rates in developed countries are at a historic low, but the procedure has continued at the same rate in developing countries canonical: https://time.com/4327211/abortion-rates-developing-developed-countries/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-05-12T00:32:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:06:34.802Z article:section: Health og:title: Abortion Rates Reach Historic Low in Developed Countries og:description: But the rate of abortion has stayed consistent in developing countries og:url: https://time.com/4327211/abortion-rates-developing-developed-countries/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Abortion Rates Reach Historic Low in Developed Countries twitter:description: But the rate of abortion has stayed consistent in developing countries twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Abortion Rates Reach Historic Low in Developed Countries > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Lawmakers Reveal Their Own Abortions [Watch (HLS stream): Lawmakers Reveal Their Own Abortions](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SldXApeh.m3u8) (3:56)  _Published 2015-06-23. Lawmakers Reveal Their Own Abortions-v1_  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly May 12, 2016 12:32 AM UTC  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly May 12, 2016 12:32 AM UTC Abortion rates in developed countries [are at a historic low](http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2816%2930380-4/abstract), according to a new report, mostly due to increased use of contraception. However, the rates of abortion have remained unchanged in developing countries, where the practice is often unsafe. The analysis of abortion data—compiled by the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization and [published in _The Lancet_](http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2816%2930380-4/abstract) on Wednesday—shows the annual abortion rate per 1000 women aged 15 to 44 dropped from 46 to 27 between 1990 and 2014 in developed countries. In developing countries, that rate fell only from 39 to 37. “In developed countries, the continued fall in abortion rates is largely due to increased use of modern contraception that has given women greater control over the timing and number of children they want,” Gilda Sedgh, the lead author at the Gutmacher Institute, said in a statement. She said the abortion data highlight the need for increased access to modern contraception and family planning services in developing countries. **Read More:** [Women Now Have As Many Miscarriages As Abortions](http://time.com/4144897/birth-rate-abortion-miscarriage/) The stark contrast between wealthier and poorer countries is also evident in the proportion of pregnancies that end in abortion. In developing countries, that percentage has declined from 39% between 1990 and 1994 to 28% between 2010 and 2014\. In developing countries, that proportion increased from 21% to 32% of pregnancies during the same time periods. The stability of abortion rates in the developing world raises safety concerns, according to the report. “Estimates of the proportion of abortions that are unsafe are under development but we already know nearly 300 million dollars are spent each year on treating the complications from unsafe abortions,” said co-author Bela Ganatra. “The high rates of abortion seen in our study also provide further evidence of the need to improve and expand access to effective contraceptive services. Investing in modern contraceptive methods would be far less costly to women and society than having unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.” The analysis also found that the frequency of abortion appears to be roughly the same in countries with restrictive [abortion laws](http://time.com/4244904/women-justices-rally-to-defense-of-abortion-providers-in-supreme-court-oral-arguments/) as it is in countries where the practice is legal. The abortion rate in countries where abortion is illegal or allowed only to save a woman’s life is 37 abortions per 1000 women, while the rate in countries where the practice is legal is 34 abortions per 1000 women. ## Transcript Abortion is a deeply personal decision. It should not be a political debate. We should not be playing doctor with women's lives. Its the biggest political, purely political and I understand your story but you don't understand mine. [ MUSIC ] I had a procedure at 17 weeks, pregnant with a child that had moved from the vagina into the cervix. At 16 I got an abortion. And I had to go to my dad, and I had to tell him, Dad, I don't wanna be like my sisters. I wanna do better, and I know that I can't do it if I have a baby just like everybody else in this family. My doctor told me that this pregnancy would likely not be viable. And that if I did not take swift medical action, my life and any hope of future babies would be in severe danger. I heard all these stories that just fit your scenario. And I respect Which you don't respect my reason, my rape, my abortion. When I was a child, I was molested. Were you? Person. By one particular person. It turns out he had many many victims. This man is a minister. He was my grandfather and one of my relatives asked him What if I get pregnant. And he said, don't worry we'll just stick a pencil up there and take care of it. And my dad gave me the money. And I went with a friend of mine and I'll never forget being there and having that done. That procedure that you just talk about Was a procedure that I enjoy. But for you to stand on this floor and to suggest, as you have, that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly Or, done without any thought, is preposterous. This decision was up to me, my husband, my doctor, and my God. It was not up to any of you. In this chamber. I don't regret it. I don't regret it because I am here making a difference, at least in my mind, for me and the other young ladies. And I guarantee you there are other women. Who should stand up with me and be courageous enough to speak that voice. 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