Abortion incidence rates

Worldwide, unsafe abortion accounts for 9% of all maternal deaths.

In other words, 9 out of 100 women who die from any cause related to a pregnancy, die because of an unsafe abortion.

Globally there are as many unsafe abortions as safe abortions conducted. In many regions the majority of abortions are unsafe, as you can see in the table below.

• Source: Countdown to 2015 Decade Report (http://www.who.int/pmnch/knowledge/topics/2010countdown_decadereport/en/).
• ** Source: The Lancet, (G Sedgh et al. WHO and Guttmacher analysis of incidence of induced abortion, 1995 to 2008. Lancet, 2012, 379:9816, 625‐632).