Abortions in Germany-results of federal statistics

Abstract

After adecline in the number of annual abortions from around 130,000 in the years 1996 to 2004 to around 100,000 since 2013/14, there was recently acertain increase again to 106,000 abortions in 2023. The decline from 2004 to 2013 was driven by adecrease in the number of women of childbearing age and alower probability of having an abortion in the key age groups. When comparing the result structures over time, the constant development towards the use of Mifegyne® is noticeable. Regarding the duration of the terminated pregnancy, the proportion of early abortions has increased in recent years.There are differences in structures between the federal states. The probability of an abortion by age is relatively low in the south of the Republic but is above average in the city states and the new federal states. Further differences between the federal states can be identified with regard to the type of intervention used or the provider. The proportion of abortions carried out in another federal state also varies. The number of reporting healthcare providers can offer basic statistical information. Legal developments have been initiated, primarily for improved regionalization of data-while respecting statistical confidentiality.