Worldwide Abortion: Legality, Incidence and Safety

Key Resources

	2008			2003			1995
	Rate	Safe	Unsafe	Rate	Safe	Unsafe	Rate	Safe	Unsafe
World	28	14	14	29	15	14	35	20	15
Developed countries	24	22	1	25	24	2	39	35	4
Excluding Eastern Europe	17	17	†	19	18	1	20	20	1
Developing countries	29	13	16	29	13	16	34	16	18
Excluding China	29	8	22	30	8	22	33	8	25
Estimates by region and subregion
Africa	29	1	28	29	†	29	33	†	33
Eastern Africa	38	2	36	39	†	39	41	†	41
Middle Africa	36	†	36	26	†	26	35	†	35
Northern Africa	18	†	18	22	†	22	17	1	17
Southern Africa	15	7	9	24	5	18	19	†	19
Western Africa	28	†	28	27	†	27	37	†	37
Asia	28	17	11	29	18	11	33	21	12
Eastern Asia	28	28	†	28	28	†	36	36	†
South-central Asia	26	9	17	27	9	18	28	6	22
South-eastern Asia	36	14	22	39	16	23	40	16	24
Western Asia	26	11	16	24	16	8	32	18	13
Europe	27	25	2	28	25	3	48	43	6
Eastern Europe	43	38	5	44	39	5	90	78	12
Northern Europe	17	17	†	17	17	†	18	17	1
Southern Europe	18	18	†	18	15	3	24	22	3
Western Europe	12	12	†	12	12	†	11	11	†
Latin America	32	2	31	31	1	30	37	2	35
Caribbean	39	21	18	35	19	16	50	27	23
Central America	29	†	29	25	†	25	30	†	30
South America	32	†	32	33	†	33	39	†	39
Northern America	19	19	†	21	21	†	22	22	†
Oceania	17	14	2	18	15	3	21	17	5

	2008		2003		1995
	Number	%Unsafe	Number	%Unsafe	Number	%Unsafe
World	43.8	49	41.6	47	28.0	44
Developed countries	6.0	6	6.6	7	10.0	9
Excluding Eastern Europe	3.2	†	3.5	3	3.8	3
Developing countries	37.8	56	35.0	55	35.5	54
Excluding China	28.6	74	26.4	73	24.9	76
Estimates by region and subregion
Africa	6.4	97	5.6	98	5.0	99
Eastern Africa	2.5	96	2.3	100	1.9	100
Middle Africa	0.9	100	0.6	100	0.6	100
Northern Africa	0.9	98	1.0	100	0.6	96
Southern Africa	0.2	58	0.3	77	0.2	100
Western Africa	1.8	100	1.5	100	1.6	100
Asia	27.3	40	25.9	38	26.8	37
Eastern Asia	10.2	†	10.0	†	12.5	†
South-central Asia	10.5	65	9.6	66	8.4	78
South-eastern Asia	5.1	61	5.2	59	4.7	60
Western Asia	1.4	60	1.2	34	1.2	42
Europe	4.2	9	4.3	11	7.7	12
Eastern Europe	2.8	13	3.0	12	6.2	13
Northern Europe	0.3	†	0.3	†	0.4	8
Southern Europe	0.6	†	0.6	18	0.8	12
Western Europe	0.4	†	0.4	†	0.4	†
Latin America	4.4	95	4.1	96	4.2	95
Caribbean	0.4	46	0.3	45	0.4	47
Central America	1.1	100	0.9	100	0.9	100
South America	3.0	100	2.9	100	3.0	100
Northern America	1.4	†	1.5	†	1.5	†
Oceania	0.1	15	0.1	16	0.1	22