Scotland reached its highest ever number of abortions ever in 2025, with 18,783, according to official data published by the Scottish Public Health service.

That represents a 55% increase in demand for termination of pregnancy services in Scotland since 2016.

“Following an acceleration in 2022, the rate of increase in demand for termination services has slowed and is the same this year as last, with 17.6 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 years receiving a termination in 2025”, says the Scottish government.

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Abortion rates increased among women aged 35 to 39 and 40 and over. Both groups recorded their highest rates, with 13.3 per 1,000 for women aged 35 to 39, and 5 per 1,000 for women aged 40 to 44.

Furtheremore, the data show that abortions that involve medication accounted for 60.8% of the total abortions in 2025.

In over 40% of cases, women said they had previously undergone an abortion. There were 209 terminations that occurred after 18 weeks of pregnancy.

The figures also revealed that in 2025, there were 277 disability-selective abortions, a rise of 61% from 2018.

Christian and pro-life groups reactions

“Every single one of these abortions in 2025 represents a baby’s life lost, and a mother in Scotland who has been betrayed by a false promise. In every case, both lives matter”, stressed the Christian Institute’s social policy analyst, Sharon James.

For James, “with figures rising year on year, we must recommit to praying and working for the day when abortion is regarded as utterly unthinkable”.

John Deighan, CEO of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) described the abortions data as “the gravest issue facing Scotland”.

“These figures show that it is only getting worse. Scotland claims to be a progressive nation that cares for the vulnerable, but hundreds of children legally destroyed due to disabilities or at viability, feeling the pain of the procedure, doesn’t seem progressive or caring”, Deighan said.

Dawn McAvoy, head of pro-life campaign Both Lives UK, warned that current healthcare systems across the UK present abortion as the primary option for pregnant women.

Meanwhile, the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland, John Keenan pointed out that “behind every figure is a unique human life, created with inherent dignity, and a mother who may be facing fear, isolation or hardship”.

“These numbers should prompt not resignation, but a renewed determination to build a society where every life is welcomed and protected”, he underlined.

Abortion law review

The figures come after the Scottish government’s Abortion Law Review Expert Group called for abortion to be allowed beyond 24 weeks gestation, on social grounds, including sex-selective abortions right up to birth.

They also urged the government to extend the so called buffer zones beyond 200 meters, if the existing zone “does not adequately protect” women seeking an abortion.

The Scottish government passed a law in 2024, stating that anyone who takes part in a pro-life activity within 200m of a hospital or abortion facility, would face fines of up to £10,000.

"The opportunity to speak with a woman outside an abortion clinic, to offer support, compassion, and practical help, matters because we know that, even at that stage, some women have been supported to continue their pregnancies", McAvoy told news website Christian Daily International.