Historical abortion statistics, Netherlands

Abortion statistics and other data--Johnston`s Archive

Historical abortion statistics, Netherlands

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 6 June 2026

Definition of table data (see notes after table for additional information):

Live births.
Abortions, reported includes legal reported induced abortions.
Abortions (AWR) are combined reported and estimated abortion occurrences from the Abortion Worldwide Report and working papers.
Abortions, residents, in country only includes reported abortions obtained within the country by residents only.
Abortions, residents, obtained abroad includes reported abortions by country residents obtained in other countries.
Abortions, residents, total includes reported abortions by residents, obtained both within the country and abroad.
Fetal deaths generally includes fetal deaths or stillbirths of at least 20 weeks` gestation.
Miscarriages generally includes spontaneous fetal losses/ abortions, fetal deaths, or stillbirths, regardless of gestation period.
Abortion ratio is abortions per 1000 live births.
Abortion % is abortions as percentage of pregnancies (excluding fetal deaths/miscarriages).
Abortion rate, residents is abortions by residency per 1000 women ages 15-44.
Abortion rate, occurrences (AWR) is abortion occurrences from Abortion Worldwide Report figures per 1000 women ages 15-39.

Netherlands regional level data also available here.

year	live births	abortions, reported	abortions (AWR)	abortions, residents, in country only	abortions, residents, obtained abroad	abortions, residents, total	abortions, occurrences by non-residents	fetal deaths	abortion ratio		abortion %		abortion rate, residents	abortion rate, occurrences (AWR)
year	live births	abortions, reported	abortions (AWR)	abortions, residents, in country only	abortions, residents, obtained abroad	abortions, residents, total	abortions, occurrences by non-residents	fetal deaths	residents, in/out of country	all in country	residents, in/out of country	all in country	abortion rate, residents	abortion rate, occurrences (AWR)
1948	247,923
1949	236,177
1950	229,718
1951	228,405
1952	231,888
1953	227,964
1954	228,173
1955	229,222
1956	231,492
1957	233,892
1958	236,859
1959	242,518
1960	239,128							3,618
1961	247,407
1962	246,150
1963	249,879
1964	250,914
1965	245,216							3,262
1966	239,611
1967	238,678
1968	237,112				37	37			0.16		0.02
1969	247,588				137	137			0.55		0.06
1970	238,912	16,485	16,485	16,485	816	17,301		2,588	72.4	69.0	6.75	6.45	3.7
1971	227,180	16,500	16,500	16,500	843	17,343			76.3	72.6	7.09	6.77	6.1
1972	214,133	38,500	38,500	26,000	243	26,243	12,500		122.6	179.8	10.92	15.24	7.6
1973	194,993	(25,000)	(25,000)	20,300	101	20,401			104.6	128.2	9.47	11.36	7.3
1974	185,982	(80,000)	(80,000)	17,600	80	17,680	48,000		95.1	430.1	8.68	30.08	6.2
1975	177,876	99,500	99,500	15,500	83	15,583	84,000	1,374	87.6	559.4	8.05	35.87	5.5
1976	177,090	16,000	16,000	16,000	97	16,097			90.9	90.3	8.33	8.29	5.5
1977	173,296	84,900	84,900	16,400	88	16,488	68,500		95.1	489.9	8.69	32.88	5.5
1978	175,550	69,900	69,900	15,900	79	15,979	52,000		91.0	398.2	8.34	28.48	5.2
1979	174,979	59,000	59,000	17,600	38	17,638	41,400		100.8	337.2	9.16	25.22	5.6
1980	181,294	56,400	56,400	21,300	41	21,341	35,100	1,205	117.7	311.1	10.53	23.73	6.7
1981	178,569	52,300	52,300	21,100	41	21,141	31,200		118.4	292.9	10.59	22.65	6.5
1982	172,071	48,700	48,700	20,700	46	20,746	28,000		120.6	283.0	10.76	22.06	6.3
1983	170,246	45,035	45,035	19,500	26	19,526	25,535		114.7	264.5	10.29	20.92	5.9
1984	174,436	43,257	43,257	18,700	38	18,738	24,557	1,036	107.4	248.0	9.70	19.87	5.6
1985	178,136	37,972	37,972	17,251	34	17,285	20,651	1,054	97.0	213.2	8.85	17.57	5.1
1986	184,513	36,455	36,455	18,252	32	18,284	18,203	1,060	99.1	197.6	9.02	16.50	5.3
1987	186,667	33,253	33,253	17,760		17,760	15,493	1,036	95.1	178.1	8.69	15.12	5.1
1988	186,647	31,694	31,694	18,014		18,014	13,680	1,038	96.5	169.8	8.80	14.52	5.1
1989	188,979	30,122	30,122	17,996		17,996	12,126	1,100	95.2	159.4	8.69	13.75	5.1
1990	197,965	30,242	30,242	18,384		18,384	11,852	1,139	92.9	152.8	8.50	13.25	5.2	10.84
1991	198,665	30,306	30,306	19,568		19,568	10,738	1,067	98.5	152.5	8.97	13.24	5.5	10.78
1992	196,734	29,632	29,632	19,422	100	19,522	10,192	1,114	99.2	150.6	9.03	13.09	5.5	10.47
1993	195,748	29,515	29,515	19,804	100	19,904	9,682	1,071	101.7	150.8	9.23	13.10	5.7	10.36
1994	195,611	29,409	29,409	20,811	100	20,911	8,558	1,055	106.9	150.3	9.66	13.07	6.0	10.25
1995	190,513	28,685	28,685	20,932	100	21,032	7,707	863	110.4	150.6	9.94	13.09	6.0	9.94
1996	189,521	29,866	29,866	22,441	100	22,541	7,412	1,221	118.9	157.6	10.63	13.61	6.5	10.42
1997	192,000	29,266	29,266	22,413		22,413	6,843	1,279	116.7	152.4	10.45	13.23	6.5	10.28
1998	199,408	30,714	30,714	24,141	25	24,166	6,560	1,271	121.2	154.0	10.81	13.35	7.0	10.87
1999	200,445	31,675	31,675	25,318	15	25,333	6,338	1,263	126.4	158.0	11.22	13.65	7.4	11.29
2000	206,619	33,335	33,335	27,205	15	27,220	6,121	1,253	131.7	161.3	11.64	13.89	8.0	11.96
2001	202,603	34,168	34,168	28,437	25	28,462	5,719	1,258	140.5	168.6	12.32	14.43	8.4	12.32
2002	202,083	34,168	34,168	29,451		29,451	4,704	1,185	145.7	169.1	12.72	14.46	8.7	12.40
2003	200,297	33,159	33,159	28,812	9	28,821	4,335	1,124	143.9	165.5	12.58	14.20	8.5	12.13
2004	194,007	33,342	33,342	29,094		29,094	4,228	1,259	150.0	171.9	13.04	14.67	8.7	12.34
2005	187,910	32,982	32,982	32,982	5	32,987	4,240	1,250	175.5	175.5	14.93	14.93	8.6	12.34
2006	185,057	32,992	32,992	28,471	10	28,481	4,508	1,172	153.9	178.3	13.34	15.13	8.6	12.48
2007	181,336	33,148	33,148	28,330	5	28,335	4,469	1,122	156.3	182.8	13.51	15.45	8.6	12.67
2008	184,634	32,983	32,983	28,470	7	28,477	4,436	1,147	154.2	178.6	13.36	15.16	8.7	12.70
2009	184,915	32,427	32,427	28,319	33	28,352	4,055	1,046	153.3	175.4	13.29	14.92	8.8	12.57
2010	184,397	30,984	30,984	26,724	7	26,731	3,983	997	145.0	168.0	12.66	14.39	8.7	12.10
2011	180,060	31,707	31,707	27,728	15	27,743	3,924	942	154.1	176.1	13.35	14.97	8.7	12.49
2012	175,959	30,577	30,577	26,871	4	26,875	3,684	946	152.7	173.8	13.25	14.80	8.5	12.13
2013	171,341	30,601	30,601	26,758	16	26,774	3,793	803	156.3	178.6	13.51	15.15	8.5	12.20
2014	175,182	30,361	30,361	26,592	16	26,608	3,763	868	151.9	173.3	13.19	14.77	8.5	12.10
2015	170,510	30,803	30,803	26,916	6	26,922	3,882	853	157.9	180.7	13.64	15.30	8.6	12.20
2016	172,520	30,144	30,144	26,482	12	26,494	3,662	819	153.6	174.7	13.31	14.87	8.5	11.80
2017	169,836	30,523	30,523	27,028	17	27,045	3,495	819	159.2	179.7	13.74	15.23	8.6	11.79
2018	168,525	31,002	31,002	27,620	27	27,647	3,382	927	164.1	184.0	14.09	15.54	8.8	11.82
2019	169,680	32,233	32,233	28,949	17	28,966	3,271	920	170.7	190.0	14.58	15.96	9.1	12.11
2020	168,681	31,364	31,364	28,532	13	28,545	2,818	942	169.2	185.9	14.47	15.68	8.9	11.65
2021	179,441	31,049	31,049	28,089	21	28,110	2,954	388	156.7	173.0	13.54	14.75	8.7	11.42
2022	167,504	35,606	35,606	32,339		32,339	3,267	364	193.1	212.6	16.18	17.53	9.9	12.95
2023	164,487	39,332	39,332	36,024		36,024	3,308		219.0	239.1	17.97	19.30	10.8	14.17
2024	166,143	39,438	39,438	35,647		35,647	3,791		214.6	237.4	17.67	19.18	10.6	14.11
2025	165,900		(41,000)
year	live births	abortions, reported	abortions (AWR)	abortions, residents, in country only	abortions, residents, obtained abroad	abortions, residents, total	abortions, occurrences by non-residents	fetal deaths	abortion ratio		abortion %		abortion rate, residents	abortion rate, occurrences (AWR)
year	live births	abortions, reported	abortions (AWR)	abortions, residents, in country only	abortions, residents, obtained abroad	abortions, residents, total	abortions, occurrences by non-residents	fetal deaths	residents, in/out of country	all in country	residents, in/out of country	all in country	abortion rate, residents	abortion rate, occurrences (AWR)

Notes:

Parenthetical figures are estimates, some of which are derived from reported data.
Abortion ratios, percentages, and rates may be based on a mix of data from different sources and thus may not represent a consistent time series.

Sources:

Council of Europe, 2004, "Netherlands, Table 2: Births, deaths and legal abortions," in Recent Demographic Developments in Europe: Demographic Yearbook 2003, on line at COE [http://www.coe.int/t/e/social_cohesion/population/NLTAB2.xls].
Department of Health, 4 July 2006, "Abortion Statistics: Legal abortions carried out under the 1967 Abortion Act in England and Wales, 2005," Department of Health, on line [http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/68/59/04136859.pdf].
Department of Health, Aug. 2004, "Abortion Statistics: Legal abortions carried out under the 1967 Abortion Act in England and Wales, 2003," Department of Health, on line [http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/66/26/04116626.pdf].
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IGZ, Nov. 2008, "Jaarrapportage 2007 van de Wet afbreking zwangerschap", IGZ (Netherlands), on line at IGZ [http://www.igz.nl/15451/1166039/2008-11_2007_Wet_afbreking_1.pdf].
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[jaarrapportage-2014-van-de-wet-afbreking-zwangerschap.pdf].
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© 2000-2025, 2026 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 6 June 2026.
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