Table 1.
Distribution of the annual number of safe, less-safe, and least-safe abortions by UN DESA, Population Division region for the period 2010–14
| Total abortions per year* |
Safe abortions |
Less-safe abortions |
Least-safe abortions |
Unsafe abortions (sum of less-safe and least-safe abortions) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % (90% UI) | n | % (90% UI) | n | % (90% UI) | n | % (90% UI) | |||
| Worldwide | 55 700 000 | 30 600 000 | 54·9% (49·9–59·4) | 17 100 000 | 30·7 (25·5–35·6) | 8 010 000 | 14·4 (11·5–18·1) | 25 100 000 | 45·1 (40·6–50·1) | |
| Developed countries | 6 580 000 | 5 760 000 | 87·5% (81·9–89·6) | 818 000 | 12·4 (10·2–17·9) | 5180 | 0·08 (0·0–1·36) | 823 000 | 12·5 (10·4–18·1) | |
| Developing countries | 49 100 000 | 24 800 000 | 50·5% (45·2–55·9) | 16 300 000 | 33·2 (27–38·3) | 8 010 000 | 16·3 (13·1–20·7) | 24 300 000 | 49·5 (44·1–54·9) | |
| Northern America | 1 190 000 | 1 180 000 | 99·0% (97·7–99·8) | 11 200 | 0·9 (0·2–2·3) | † | 0·0 (0·0–0·03) | 11 200 | 0·9 (0·2–2·3) | |
| Europe | 4 290 000 | 3 800 000 | 88·8% (80·3–91·7) | 480 000 | 11·2 (7·8–19·3) | 3770 | 0·0 (0·0–0·02) | 483 000 | 11·2 (8·3–19·7) | |
| Southern | 750 000 | 684 000 | 91·2% (85·6–92·9) | 65 400 | 8·7 (6–13·9) | 820 | 0·11 (0·0–2·9) | 66 200 | 8·8 (7·0–14·5) | |
| Western | 562 000 | 525 000 | 93·5% (90·6–96·1) | 36 500 | 6·5 (3·9–9·4) | † | 0·0 (0·0–0·03) | 36 500 | 6·5 (3·9–9·4) | |
| Northern | 349 000 | 341 000 | 97·9% (92·8–99·6) | 7370 | 2·1 (0·4–6·8) | † | 0·03 (0·0–0·9) | 7370 | 2·1 (0·4–7·2) | |
| Eastern | 2 630 000 | 2 250 000 | 85·8% (73·3–91·1) | 370 000 | 14·1 (8·4–26·5) | 2950 | 0·11 (0–2·4) | 373 000 | 14·2 (8·8–26·7) | |
| Asia | 34 500 000 | 21 000 000 | 62·1% (54·8–67·2) | 10 500 000 | 29·7 (23·5–36·6) | 2 950 000 | 8·3 (4·9–13·3) | 13 500 000 | 37·8 (32·8–45·2) | |
| Eastern | 12 800 000 | 11 300 000 | 88·9% (78·3–95·7) | 1 410 000 | 11·1 (4·1–21·3) | 5730 | 0·04 (0·0–0·6) | 1 420 000 | 11·1 (4·3–21·7) | |
| South-eastern | 5 140 000 | 3 070 000 | 59·6% (38·4–77·7) | 1 380 000 | 26·9 (10·8–45·9) | 694 000 | 13·5 (2·3–30) | 2 080 000 | 40·4 (12·3–61·6) | |
| South-central | 15 700 000 | 6 620 000 | 42·2% (34·1–49·6) | 7 040 000 | 44·9 (35·1–53·3) | 2 020 000 | 12·9 (7–19·2) | 9 060 000 | 57·8 (50·3–65·9) | |
| Western | 1 870 000 | 962 000 | 51·5% (40·9–66·4) | 678 000 | 36·3 (19·2–48·5) | 229 000 | 12·3 (1·2–23·4) | 907 000 | 48·5 (33·7–59·1) | |
| Latin America | 6 420 000 | 1 510 000 | 23·6% (8·8–47·0) | 3 830 000 | 59·7 (32·7–72·2) | 1 070 000 | 16·7 (8·8–33·4) | 4 900 000 | 76·4 (53·0–91·3) | |
| Caribbean | 519 000 | 132 000 | 25·4% (6·7–47·6) | 258 000 | 49·6 (23·8–64·9) | 129 000 | 24·9 (15·1–40·8) | 387 000 | 74·6 (52·4–93·3) | |
| Central America | 1 310 000 | 241 000 | 18·4% (10·6–28·9) | 684 000 | 52·1 (37·7–63·5) | 388 000 | 29·6 (16·9–40·3) | 1 070 000 | 81·6 (71·1–89·5) | |
| South America | 4 590 000 | 1 140 000 | 24·9% (4·7–53·7) | 2 890 000 | 63 (28·9–79·3) | 555 000 | 12·1 (3–31·9) | 3 440 000 | 75·1 (46·3–95·4) | |
| Africa | 6 860 000 | 2 010 000 | 24·4% (18·6–33·6) | 2 280 000 | 27·6 (21·2–37·0) | 3 950 000 | 48·0 (36·5–52·9) | 6 230 000 | 75·6 (66·4–81·4) | |
| Eastern | 2 650 000 | 634 000 | 23·9% (17·0–33·0) | 774 000 | 29·2 (19·9–37·6) | 1 240 000 | 46·9 (36·5–54·9) | 2 020 000 | 76·1 (66·9–83·0) | |
| Middle | 1 020 000 | 120 000 | 11·8% (5·5–30·4) | 195 000 | 19·2 (6·7–40·7) | 702 000 | 69·0 (38·0–81·2) | 897 000 | 88·2 (69·6–94·6) | |
| Northern | 1 920 000 | 557 000 | 29·0% (11·0–49·9) | 510 000 | 26·6 (10–46·3) | 852 000 | 44·4 (19·5–58·9) | 1 360 000 | 71·0 (50·1–89·0) | |
| Western | 2 140 000 | 327 000 | 15·3% (10·4–24·1) | 698 000 | 32·6 (24·1–42·8) | 1 120 000 | 52·1 (40–59·8) | 1 820 000 | 84·7 (75·9–89·6) | |
| Southern | 510 000 | 375 000 | 73·5% (27·7–93·2) | 98 800 | 19·4 (1·5–62·1) | 36 400 | 7·1 (2·6–11·1) | 135 000 | 26·5 (6·7–72·3) | |
| Oceania | 144 000 | 95 700 | 66·3% (61·4–77·7) | 11 200 | 7·8 (3·5–17·9) | 37 400 | 25·9 (11·5–31·1) | 48 600 | 33·7 (22·3–38·6) | |
Numbers greater than 10 million are rounded to the nearest 100 000, greater than 1 million to the nearest 10 000, greater than 100 000 to the nearest 1000, greater than 10 000 to the nearest 100, greater than 1000 to the nearest 10, and numbers less than 1000 to the nearest 1. UI=uncertainty interval. UN DESA=UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
*
Data are median.
†
Estimated numbers were fewer than 200 abortions.