Historical abortion statistics, Australian Capital Territory (Australia)
compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 7 June 2026
| year | live births | abortions,
legal reported | abortions, legal
reported (Medicare) | fetal deaths | abortion ratio | abortion % | abortion rate
(per 1000 women
ages 15-44) |
|---|
| 1960 | 1,583 | | | | | | |
| 1961 | 1,734 | | | | | | |
| 1962 | 1,819 | | | | | | |
| 1963 | 1,995 | | | | | | |
| 1964 | 1,955 | | | | | | |
| 1965 | 2,158 | | | | | | |
| 1966 | 2,318 | | | | | | |
| 1967 | 2,401 | | | | | | |
| 1968 | 2,643 | | | | | | |
| 1969 | 3,023 | | | | | | |
| 1970 | 3,418 | | | | | | |
| 1971 | 3,953 | | | | | | |
| 1972 | 3,996 | | | | | | |
| 1973 | 3,987 | | | | | | |
| 1974 | 4,216 | | | | | | |
| 1975 | 4,178 | | | | | | |
| 1976 | 4,272 | | | | | | |
| 1977 | 4,405 | | | | | | |
| 1978 | 4,191 | | | | | | |
| 1979 | 4,247 | | | | | | |
| 1980 | 4,243 | | | | | | |
| 1981 | 4,142 | | | | | | |
| 1982 | 4,107 | | | | | | |
| 1983 | 4,144 | | | | | | |
| 1984 | 4,109 | | (1,070) | | 260 | 20.7 | |
| 1985 | 4,107 | | (1,080) | | 263 | 20.8 | |
| 1986 | 4,102 | | (1,160) | | 283 | 22.0 | |
| 1987 | 4,108 | | (1,230) | | 299 | 23.0 | |
| 1988 | 4,335 | | (1,220) | | 281 | 22.0 | |
| 1989 | 4,137 | | (1,230) | | 297 | 22.9 | |
| 1990 | 4,457 | | (1,280) | | 287 | 22.3 | |
| 1991 | 4,756 | | (1,330) | | 280 | 21.9 | |
| 1992 | 4,447 | | (1,320) | | 297 | 22.9 | |
| 1993 | 4,414 | | (1,300) | | 295 | 22.8 | |
| 1994 | 4,461 | | (1,560) | 17 | 350 | 25.9 | |
| 1995 | 4,415 | | (1,580) | 26 | 358 | 26.4 | |
| 1996 | 4,396 | | (1,600) | 25 | 364 | 26.7 | |
| 1997 | 4,208 | | (1,500) | 19 | 356 | 26.3 | |
| 1998 | 3,982 | | (1,450) | 31 | 364 | 26.7 | |
| 1999 | 4,253 | (860) | (1,510) | 38 | 355 | 26.2 | |
| 2000 | 4,065 | (1,580) | (1,490) | 38 | 389 | 28.0 | |
| 2001 | 3,938 | (1,020) | (1,510) | | 383 | 27.7 | (19.6) |
| 2002 | 4,112 | (820) | (1,530) | | 372 | 27.1 | (19.7) |
| 2003 | 4,128 | | (1,460) | | 354 | 26.1 | (18.7) |
| 2004 | 4,174 | | (1,460) | | 350 | 25.9 | (18.7) |
| 2005 | 4,206 | | (1,360) | | 323 | 24.4 | (17.4) |
| 2006 | 4,479 | | (1,470) | | 328 | 24.7 | (18.7) |
| 2007 | 4,753 | | (1,510) | | 318 | 24.1 | (18.8) |
| 2008 | 4,804 | | (1,430) | | 298 | 22.9 | (17.5) |
| 2009 | 4,858 | | (1,460) | | 301 | 23.1 | (17.6) |
| 2010 | 5,149 | | (1,380) | | 268 | 21.1 | (16.3) |
| 2011 | 5,121 | | (1,260) | | 246 | 19.7 | (14.6) |
| 2012 | 5,461 | | (1,330) | | 244 | 19.6 | (15.1) |
| 2013 | 5,545 | | (1,270) | | 229 | 18.6 | (14.2) |
| 2014 | 5,552 | | (1,340) | | 241 | 19.4 | (14.9) |
| 2015 | 5,622 | | (1,200) | | 213 | 17.6 | (13.1) |
| 2016 | 5,739 | | (1,120) | | 195 | 16.3 | (12.1) |
| 2017 | 5,450 | | (1,040) | | 191 | 16.0 | (10.8) |
| 2018 | 5,300 | | (940) | | 177 | 15.1 | (9.4) |
| 2019 | 5,483 | | (940) | | 171 | 14.6 | (9.2) |
| 2020 | 5,368 | | (930) | | 173 | 14.8 | (8.9) |
| 2021 | 5,543 | | (880) | | 159 | 13.7 | (8.4) |
| 2022 | 5,455 | | (1,010) | | 185 | 15.6 | (9.6) |
| 2023 | 5,256 | | (980) | | 186 | 15.7 | (9.3) |
| 2024 | 5,218 | | (980) | | 188 | 15.8 | (9.3) |
| 2025 | | | (1,020) | | | | |
| 2026 | | | (340) | | | | |
| year | live births | abortions,
legal reported | abortions, legal
reported (Medicare) | fetal deaths | abortion ratio | abortion % | abortion rate
(per 1000 women
ages 15-44) |
|---|
Notes: Reporting for abortions is incomplete; reported abortions include only Medicare abortions, and these figures are incomplete for 2010-2011. Medicare abortions are estimated from reported totals for pairs of states/territories. Abortion figures are for calendar years, some figures are interpolated from fiscal year figures.
Sources (incomplete):
- ACT Right to Life Association, Feb. 2002, "Information Towards a Solution: ACT Abortion Statistics 2000-2001," ACT Right to Life Association, on line [http://www.actrtla.org.au/pdf/100302_booklet4.pdf].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 11 Nov. 2009, "33010DO001_2008 Births, Australia, 2008," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&33010do001_2008.xls&3301.0&Data%20Cubes&A1AC0DA0560BF50CCA25766A00121D9C&0&2008&11.11.2009&Previous].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 25 Oct. 2011, "3301.0 - Births, Australia, 2010: States and territories," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/4DBF6BE0677A9A7ACA257933001675E9?opendocument].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 29 Oct. 2007, "3301.0 Births, Australia," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&33010_table_1_2006.zip&3301.0&Data%20Cubes&0C9BCCC03FFD4F7DCA2573800015B897&0&2006&29.10.2007&Latest].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 3 June 2003, "Australian Social Trends: Population--State summary tables," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/54f9dc094d0b4814ca256d39001bc333!OpenDocument].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5 Aug. 2008, "3105.0.65.001 Australian Historical Population Statistics, 2008, 5. Births," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&3105065001ds0005_2008.xls&3105.0.65.001&Data%20Cubes&D15AA24359739174CA25749B00176F62&0&2008&05.08.2008&Latest].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 25 Oct. 2012, "Table 1: Births, summary, states and territories--2001 to 2011," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&33010do001_2011.xls&3301.0&Data%20Cubes&433EE795894F6431CA257AA100127D7E&0&2011&25.10.2012&Latest].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 10 July 2014, "Table 1: Births, summary, states and territories--2002 to 2012," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&33010do001_2012.xls&3301.0&Data%20Cubes&D5F2BC3BBE0663AFCA257C0D000F7DD1&0&2012&24.10.2013&Latest].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 3 Nov. 2014, "3301.0 - Births, Australia, 2013: States and territories," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3301.0Main%20Features52013?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3301.0&issue=2013&num=&view=].
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2001, "Australia's mothers and babies 1999," Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, National Perinatal Statistics Unit, on line [http://www.npsu.unsw.edu.au/PRERUWeb.nsf/resources/AMB_1995-98/$file/ps11.pdf].
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2003, "Australia's mothers and babies 2000," Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, National Perinatal Statistics Unit, on line [http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442458935].
- Family Planning Queensland, July 2000, "Abortion Statistics," Family Planning Queensland, on line [http://www.fpq.asn.au/factsheets_brochures/student_info/Abortion%20stats.pdf].
- HIC, 2005, "Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Item Statistics Reports," HIC, on line [http://www.hic.gov.au/statistics/dyn_mbs/forms/mbs_tab4.shtml].
- Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, 2003, "Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 4 Hansard (3 April) Page 1487," Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, on line [http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2003/week04/1487.htm].
- Medicare Australia, 2008, "Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Item Statistics Reports," Medicare Australia, on line [https://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/statistics/mbs_item.shtml].
- Medicare Australia, 2012, "Medicare Item Reports," Medicare Australia, on line [https://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/statistics/mbs_item.shtml].
- Medicare Australia, Jan. 2015, "Medicare Item Reports," Medicare Australia, on line [https://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/statistics/mbs_item.shtml].
- Queensland Right to Life, "Number of abortions conducted in Australia," on line, Queensland Right to Life [http://www.qrtl.org.au/abort/facts.htm].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 30 Aug. 2022, "Regional population by age and sex," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population-age-and-sex/latest-release].
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 25 Oct. 2022, "Births, Australia," Australian Bureau of Statistics, on line [https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/births-australia/2021].
- Services Australia, 2023, "Medicare Item Reports," on line, Medicare Statistics [http://medicarestatistics.humanservices.gov.au/statistics/mbs_item.jsp].
- Wright, S. M., D. Bateson, and K. McGeechan, 2021, "Induced abortion in Australia: 2000-2022," Family Planning NSW, Ashfield, Australia, on line [https://www.fpnsw.org.au/sites/default/files/assets/Induced-Abortion-in-Australia_2000-2020.pdf].
© 2004-2025, 2026 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 7 June 2026.
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