Historical abortion statistics, Republic of Korea/South Korea

Abortion statistics and other data--Johnston`s Archive

Historical abortion statistics, Republic of Korea/South Korea

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.

year	live births	abortions, reported	abortions (AWR)	abortions, residents, in country only	abortions, residents, obtained abroad	abortions, residents, total	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	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)
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960	(1,080,000)	(87,000)	(87,000)	(87,000)		(87,000)		81	81	7.46	7.46
1961	(990,000)	(104,000)	(104,000)	(104,000)		(104,000)		105	105	9.51	9.51	19.5
1962	(969,000)	(127,000)	(127,000)	(127,000)		(127,000)		131	131	11.59	11.59	23.3
1963	(944,000)	(152,000)	(152,000)	(152,000)		(152,000)		161	161	13.87	13.87	27.2
1964	(918,000)	(191,000)	(191,000)	(191,000)		(191,000)		208	208	17.22	17.22	33.3
1965	(899,000)	(223,000)	(223,000)	(223,000)		(223,000)		248	248	19.88	19.88	37.9
1966	(860,000)	(252,000)	(252,000)	(252,000)		(252,000)		293	293	22.66	22.66	41.9
1967	(886,000)	(264,000)	(264,000)	(264,000)		(264,000)		298	298	22.96	22.96	42.9
1968	(864,000)	(293,000)	(293,000)	(293,000)		(293,000)		339	339	25.32	25.32	46.4
1969	(880,000)	(315,000)	(315,000)	(315,000)		(315,000)		358	358	26.36	26.36	48.8
1970	1,006,645	(331,000)	(331,000)	(331,000)		(331,000)		329	329	24.74	24.74	50.1
1971	1,024,773		(351,000)
1972	952,780		(370,000)
1973	965,521	(390,000)	(390,000)	(390,000)		(390,000)		404	404	28.77	28.77
1974	922,823		(487,000)
1975	874,869	(584,000)	(584,000)	(584,000)		(584,000)		668	668	40.03	40.03	63.9
1976	796,331	(533,000)	(533,000)	(533,000)		(533,000)		669	669	40.10	40.10
1977	825,339	(558,000)	(558,000)	(558,000)		(558,000)		676	676	40.34	40.34
1978	750,728	(631,000)	(631,000)	(631,000)		(631,000)		841	841	45.67	45.67
1979	862,669		(627,000)
1980	862,835		(624,000)
1981	867,409	(620,000)	(620,000)	(620,000)		(620,000)		715	715	41.68	41.68	64.0
1982	848,312		(581,000)
1983	769,155		(542,000)
1984	674,793	(503,000)	(503,000)	(503,000)		(503,000)		745	745	42.71	42.71	50.2
1985	655,489		(480,000)
1986	636,019		(458,000)
1987	623,831	(435,000)	(435,000)	(435,000)		(435,000)		697	697	41.08	41.08
1988	633,092		(427,000)
1989	639,431		(418,000)
1990	649,738	(410,000)	(410,000)	(410,000)		(410,000)		631	631	38.69	38.69	36.5	(40.6)
1991	709,275		(320,000)										(31.3)
1992	730,678	(230,000)	(230,000)	(230,000)		(230,000)		315	315	23.94	23.94		(22.3)
1993	715,826	(396,000)	(396,000)	(396,000)		(396,000)		553	553	35.62	35.62	33.7	(38.2)
1994	721,185		(344,000)										(32.9)
1995	715,185		(291,000)										(27.9)
1996	691,226	(239,000)	(239,000)	(239,000)		(239,000)		346	346	25.69	25.69	19.6	(22.8)
1997	668,344	(280,000)	(280,000)	(280,000)		(280,000)		419	419	29.53	29.53	22.7	(26.8)
1998	634,790		(246,000)										(23.6)
1999	614,233	(212,300)	(212,300)	(212,300)		(212,300)		346	346	25.69	25.69	17.3	(20.5)
2000	634,501		(234,000)										(22.9)
2001	554,895		(256,000)										(25.5)
2002	492,111		(277,000)										(28.0)
2003	490,543		(299,000)										(30.8)
2004	472,761		(321,000)										(33.5)
2005	435,031	(342,433)	(342,433)	(342,433)		(342,433)		787	787	44.04	44.04	29.8	(36.3)
2006	448,153		(309,000)										(33.1)
2007	493,189		(275,000)				1,173						(29.7)
2008	465,892	(241,411)	(241,411)	(241,411)	1	(241,412)	1,055	518	518	34.13	34.13	21.9	(26.3)
2009	444,849	(187,958)	(187,958)	(187,958)		(187,958)	1,025	423	423	29.70	29.70	17.2	(20.7)
2010	470,171	(168,738)	(168,738)	(168,738)		(168,738)	950	359	359	26.41	26.41	15.8	(18.8)
2011	471,265		(152,000)		1		924						(17.2)
2012	484,550		(136,000)		2		963						(15.5)
2013	436,455		(119,000)				931						(13.8)
2014	435,435		(103,000)				897						(12.1)
2015	438,420		(86,000)		2		836						(10.2)
2016	406,243	(69,909)	(69,909)	(69,909)		(69,909)	709	172	172	14.68	14.68		(8.4)
2017	357,771	(49,764)	(49,764)	(49,764)		(49,764)	606	139	139	12.21	12.21		(6.0)
2018	326,822	(23,175)	(23,175)	(23,175)		(23,175)	559	71	71	6.62	6.62		(2.8)
2019	302,676	(26,985)	(26,985)	(26,985)		(26,985)	516	89	89	8.19	8.19		(3.4)
2020	272,337	(32,063)	(32,063)	(32,063)		(32,063)	464	118	118	10.53	10.53		(4.1)
2021	260,562		(32,000)				469
2022	249,186		(32,000)				429
2023	230,028		(32,000)				345
2024	238,300		(32,000)
2025	254,500		(32,000)
year	live births	abortions, reported	abortions (AWR)	abortions, residents, in country only	abortions, residents, obtained abroad	abortions, residents, total	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	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:

Ahn, H. S., H. J. Seol, J. E. Lim, S. H. Hong, S. Y. Lee, M. I. Park, S. D. Kim, and H. J. Kim, 2012, "Estimates of induced abortion in South Korea: Health facilities survey," Journal of Obstet. Gynaecol. Research, 38(1):324-328.
Choi, Bongho, Seungwook Lee, and Youngsik Chang, 1999, "Current status of health related indicators in Korea," Korea National Statistical Office, on line [http://www.nso.go.kr/attach/journal/4-1-8.PDF].
Donaldson, P. J., D. J. Nichols, and Ehn Hyun Choe, 1982, "Abortion and contraception in the Korean fertility transition," Population Studies, 36(2):227-235, on line [http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAL787.pdf].
Henshaw, Stanley K., Susheela Singh, and Taylor Haas, 1999, "Recent trends in abortion rates worldwide," International Family Planning Perspectives, 25(1):, on line at AGI [http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2504499.html].
Henshaw, Stanley K., Susheela Singh, and Taylor Haas, 1999, "The incidence of abortion worldwide," International Family Planning Perspectives, 25:S30-S38, on line at AGI [http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/25s3099.html].
Hong, Sung-bong, 1988, "South Korea," in International Handbook on Abortion, ed. by Paul Sachdev, Greenwood Press (New York, NY), pp. 302-316.
Kim, Rahn, 23 Sept. 2011, "Number of abortions decreases since 2008," Korea Times, on line [http://lfcltdv.ktimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/03/117_95367.html].
Korean Statistical Information Service, 2013, "KOSIS Statistical Database," KOSIS, on line [http://kosis.kr/eng/search/search_001000.jsp].
Korean Women's Development Institute, 2009, "Reviewing issues on unwed mothers' welfare in Korea: Intercountry adoption, related statistics, and welfare policies in developed countries," on line, TRACK [http://justicespeaking.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/200905_reviewing-issues-on-unwed-mothers-welfare-in-korea.pdf].
Lim, Jong-Kwon, Sang-Young Lee, and Hwa-Oak Bae, 1989, "Prevalence of induced abortion in Korea," on line [http://repository.kihasa.re.kr:8080/handle/201002/3586].
Sedgh, Gilda, Stanley K. Henshaw, Susheela Singh, Akinrinola Bankole, and Taylor Haas, Sept. 2007, "Legal abortion worldwide: incidence and recent trends," International Family Planning Perspectives, 33:106-116, on line at AGI [http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3310607.html].
Tietze, Christopher, ed., 1979, Induced Abortion: A World Review 1979, 3rd ed., Population Council (New York, NY).
Yonhap, 26 Feb. 2013, "Births rise for 3 straight years in 2012," Yonhap News Agency, on line [http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2013/02/26/0503000000AEN20130226004400320.HTML].
United Nations Statistics Division, 1 July 2014, "3. Live births, deaths, and infant deaths, latest available year (1999-2013)," United Nations Statistics Division, on line [a href=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf>https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf].
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2011, "Table 12. Late foetal deaths and late foetal death ratios, by urban/rural residence: 2006-2010," in United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2009-2010, United Nations (New York, NY), on line at United Nations Statistics Division [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2009-2010/Table12.pdf].
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2014, "Table 12. Late foetal deaths and late foetal death ratios, by urban/rural residence: 2009-2013," in United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2013, United Nations (New York, NY), on line at United Nations Statistics Division [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2013/Table12.pdf].
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 12 Aug. 2015, "3. Live births, deaths, and infant deaths, latest available year (2000-2014)," United Nations Statistics Division, on line [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf].
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015, "Table 12. Late foetal deaths and late foetal death ratios, by urban/rural residence: 2010-2014," in United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2014, United Nations (New York, NY), on line at United Nations Statistics Division [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2014/Table12.pdf].
Tietze, Christopher, ed., 1973, Induced Abortion: A Factbook, Reports on Population/Family Planning, no. 14.
Yun, Jungha, Chae Young Kim, Se-Hyung Son, Chong-Woo Bae, Yong-Sung Choi, and Sung-Hoon Chung, 2022, “Birth rate transition in the Republic of Korea: Trends and Prospects,” Journal of Korean Medical Science, 37(42):e304, on line https://www.jkms.org/pdf/10.3346/jkms.2022.37.e304

© 2000-2025, 2026 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 6 June 2026.
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