Scotland: abortions and live births by health region, 1991-2023

Scotland: abortions and live births by health region, 1991-2023

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 11 May 2025

Scotland abortions by health region of residence, 1991-2023

Note: In 2006 the region Argyll and Cylde was merged into the regions Greater Glasgow (becoming Greater Glasgow and Clyde) and Highland.

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health region 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 health region

Ayrshire and Arran 662 675 670 735 656 685 649 700 702 693 663 663 702 732 722 810 804 812 734 817 730 786 697 724 746 685 729 820 757 753 703 832 942 Ayrshire and Arran

Borders 179 181 164 190 147 163 195 178 152 168 155 176 201 208 191 238 203 207 150 214 208 189 177 162 142 183 192 193 197 174 204 240 249 Borders

Dumfries and Galloway 243 251 216 233 221 219 253 245 236 257 260 231 262 281 259 296 288 293 294 292 294 257 231 253 235 256 257 262 254 266 271 313 353 Dumfries and Galloway

Fife 815 749 757 751 752 736 680 784 770 823 809 844 850 824 801 864 967 1,022 951 898 885 909 876 804 849 859 879 866 910 876 848 974 998 Fife

Forth Valley 504 529 493 575 508 567 567 601 609 606 571 565 570 594 615 626 634 687 641 676 624 618 648 649 634 703 708 784 813 742 722 923 972 Forth Valley

Grampian 1,316 1,280 1,362 1,402 1,352 1,451 1,473 1,432 1,342 1,214 1,266 1,329 1,352 1,400 1,354 1,342 1,557 1,535 1,468 1,405 1,339 1,425 1,392 1,325 1,306 1,237 1,248 1,314 1,378 1,385 1,349 1,657 1,832 Grampian

Greater Glasgow and Clyde 2,467 2,441 2,579 2,643 2,652 2,902 2,966 2,960 2,890 2,852 3,030 2,834 2,851 2,948 3,131 3,367 3,231 3,250 3,063 3,046 2,846 2,767 2,650 2,693 2,822 2,789 2,988 3,139 3,342 3,510 3,563 4,181 4,495 Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Highland 585 572 605 548 499 578 613 601 577 526 557 527 523 508 489 534 571 521 471 553 552 491 490 501 515 496 483 554 561 540 542 635 711 Highland

(Argyll and Cylde) (737) (821) (778) (761) (Argyll and Cylde)

Islands 73 103 96 103 102 96 92 87 92 86 63 91 87 82 66 73 73 67 81 50 64 68 64 66 52 60 67 51 72 77 70 77 105 Islands

Lanarkshire 895 898 910 885 910 916 886 897 1,033 1,027 1,092 1,053 1,021 1,139 1,168 1,221 1,434 1,564 1,471 1,549 1,400 1,452 1,353 1,378 1,337 1,426 1,475 1,586 1,599 1,693 1,809 2,253 2,560 Lanarkshire

Lothian 2,104 1,999 2,089 2,276 2,243 2,499 2,547 2,616 2,626 2,554 2,576 2,439 2,564 2,554 2,568 2,547 2,672 2,721 2,536 2,307 2,450 2,470 2,337 2,289 2,423 2,384 2,432 2,603 2,631 2,771 2,636 3,044 3,434 Lothian

Tayside 1,160 1,067 1,089 1,002 1,072 1,128 1,143 1,252 1,111 1,170 1,066 1,088 1,284 1,149 1,241 1,191 1,299 1,193 1,213 1,121 1,140 1,111 1,011 1,064 1,077 1,050 1,096 1,189 1,131 1,191 1,214 1,475 1,550 Tayside

SCOTLAND UNKNOWN 755 619 470 391 308 346 345 482 348 345 337 337 368 359 330 384 377 297 277 254 233 212 182 162 174 180 187 171 179 123 150 176 SCOTLAND UNKNOWN

SCOTLAND TOTAL 11,758 11,364 11,500 11,734 11,422 12,286 12,409 12,835 12,488 12,321 12,445 12,177 12,635 12,778 12,935 13,493 14,110 14,169 13,350 13,182 12,765 12,755 12,108 12,070 12,312 12,308 12,741 13,532 13,824 14,101 14,081 16,780 18,201 SCOTLAND TOTAL

Scotland live births by health region of residence, 1991-2023

Note: In 2006 the region Argyll and Cylde was merged into the regions Greater Glasgow (becoming Greater Glasgow and Clyde) and Highland. Birth figures for 2011-2016 are derived from abortion figures and reported abortion ratios.

health region 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 health region

Ayrshire and Arran 4,861 4,574 4,547 4,332 4,213 4,122 3,760 4,056 3,746 3,671 3,675 3,491 3,602 3,707 3,613 3,829 3,861 3,919 3,914 3,819 3,887 3,701 3,647 3,571 3,612 3,495 3,281 3,233 3,137 3,037 2,965 2,812 2,843 Ayrshire and Arran

Borders 1,234 1,165 1,116 1,127 1,155 1,133 1,144 1,044 1,054 1,068 1,066 1,021 1,047 1,051 1,047 1,109 1,169 1,138 1,157 1,161 1,108 1,139 1,138 1,081 1,037 1,005 989 984 916 845 852 847 825 Borders

Dumfries and Galloway 1,673 1,632 1,698 1,706 1,615 1,611 1,569 1,514 1,402 1,369 1,283 1,343 1,307 1,431 1,407 1,471 1,507 1,430 1,507 1,445 1,396 1,390 1,327 1,286 1,256 1,318 1,248 1,198 1,153 1,137 1,083 1,093 1,123 Dumfries and Galloway

Fife 4,368 4,273 4,302 4,107 3,991 3,825 3,346 3,849 3,660 3,498 3,642 3,536 3,642 3,735 3,831 3,999 4,076 4,349 4,135 4,172 4,268 4,019 3,872 3,889 3,755 3,739 3,465 3,479 3,325 3,144 3,157 2,990 2,939 Fife

Forth Valley 3,547 3,446 3,336 3,152 3,163 3,178 2,975 3,153 3,028 2,921 2,817 2,820 2,926 3,171 3,136 3,211 3,405 3,454 3,345 3,330 3,154 3,255 3,025 3,114 2,939 2,877 2,907 2,715 2,611 2,572 2,634 2,530 2,414 Forth Valley

Grampian 6,752 6,801 6,647 6,640 6,182 6,038 6,194 5,954 5,780 5,320 5,213 5,300 5,195 5,317 5,404 5,688 6,108 6,323 6,433 6,254 6,276 6,470 6,153 6,332 6,405 6,271 5,917 5,859 5,476 5,149 5,226 4,834 4,924 Grampian

Greater Glasgow 12,802 12,124 11,779 11,394 11,069 10,997 10,307 10,296 9,861 13,133 13,012 12,515 12,831 13,095 13,310 13,073 13,751 14,221 14,015 14,106 14,067 14,072 12,583 12,788 12,275 12,082 12,126 11,623 11,424 10,473 10,638 10,966 10,666 Greater Glasgow

Highland 2,609 2,682 2,512 2,466 2,395 2,379 2,563 2,451 2,223 2,945 2,911 2,732 2,817 2,982 3,006 2,940 3,072 3,289 3,189 3,230 3,090 3,145 2,942 3,037 2,908 2,849 2,754 2,653 2,597 2,457 2,484 2,488 2,367 Highland

(Argyll and Cylde) 5,616 5,471 5,225 5,005 5,103 4,980 4,910 4,645 4,538 (4,421) (4,136) (4,028) (4,095) (4,390) (4,296) (Argyll and Cylde)

Islands 856 873 820 865 817 766 813 733 737 606 647 615 677 624 640 755 697 749 699 698 682 714 708 660 647 682 617 607 587 542 552 552 513 Islands

Lanarkshire 7,510 7,269 7,131 6,873 6,733 6,841 5,974 6,028 6,493 6,220 6,025 5,992 6,045 6,497 6,283 6,584 6,548 6,848 6,575 6,445 6,502 6,145 7,010 7,121 6,901 6,826 6,763 6,540 6,547 5,969 6,405 6,309 6,121 Lanarkshire

Lothian 9,953 9,735 9,363 9,362 9,195 9,071 8,616 8,781 8,750 8,479 8,331 8,210 8,414 8,454 8,723 9,027 9,378 9,886 6,719 9,824 9,794 9,827 9,588 9,628 9,386 9,418 9,037 8,748 8,511 8,151 8,426 8,127 7,931 Lothian

Tayside 4,856 4,880 4,746 4,378 4,352 4,332 3,846 4,196 3,979 3,846 3,905 3,695 3,929 3,893 3,986 4,004 4,209 4,435 4,358 4,307 4,366 4,150 4,021 4,218 3,977 3,926 3,757 3,669 3,579 3,333 3,364 3,411 3,269 Tayside

SCOTLAND TOTAL 66,740 65,046 63,293 61,506 60,096 59,273 56,017 56,700 55,251 53,076 52,527 51,270 52,432 53,957 54,386 55,690 57,781 60,041 59,046 58,791 58,590 58,027 56,014 56,725 55,098 54,488 52,861 51,308 49,863 46,809 47,786 46,959 45,935 SCOTLAND TOTAL

Sources (incomplete):

General Register Office for Scotland, 1997, "Registar General for Scotland Annual Report 1996," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/1996_rg_review.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 1998, "Registar General for Scotland Annual Report 1997," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/annual-report-1997.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 1999, "Registar General for Scotland Annual Report 1998," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/annual-report-1998.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2000, "Registar General for Scotland Annual Report 1999," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/annual-report-1999.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2001, "Registar General for Scotland Annual Report 2000," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/annual-report-2000.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2002, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2001," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/01t3_8.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2003, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2002," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files/02t3-8.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, Sept. 2007, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2003," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/03t3-8rev.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, Sept. 2007, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2004," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/04t3-8rev.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, Sept. 2007, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2005," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/05t3-8rev.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2007, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2006," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/06t3-8.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2008, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2007," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/07t3-8.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 7 Aug. 2009, "Table 3.8 Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2008," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/vital-events-ref-tables-2008/ve-2008-t3-8.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2010, "Table 3.8: Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2009," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/ve-reftables-09/ve09-t3-8.pdf].
General Register Office for Scotland, 2011, "Table 3.8: Live births, numbers and fertility rates by marital status of parents, type of registration and administrative area, Scotland, 2010," General Register Office for Scotland, on line [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/ve-reftables-2010/ve10-t3-8.pdf].
ISD Scotland, 26 May 2009, "Abortions by local council area of residence, Year ending 31 December," ISD Scotland, on line [http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=mat_aas_table407.xls&pContentDispositionType=inline].
ISD Scotland, 26 May 2009, "Abortions performed in Scotland by NHS board area of residence: 1991-2008," ISD Scotland, on line [http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=mat_aas_table1007.xls&pContentDispositionType=inline].
ISD Scotland, July 1998, "Abortion statistics 1996 & 1997," ISD Scotland, on line [http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=mat_aas_abort9697.pdf&pContentDispositionType=inline].
ISD Scotland, Jan. 2000, "Abortion statistics Scotland 1968-1998," ISD Scotland, on line [http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=mat_aas_abort68-98.pdf&pContentDispositionType=inline].
ISD Scotland, 31 May 2011, "Abortion statistics year ending 31 December 2010," ISD Scotland, on line [http://www.isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Sexual-Health/Publications/2011-05-31/2011-05-31-Abortions-Summary.pdf?92754763365].
ISD Scotland, 29 May 2012, "Abortion statistics year ending 31 December 2011," ISD Scotland, on line [http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Sexual-Health/Publications/2012-05-29/2012-05-29-Abortions-Report-2011.pdf?92843264342].
Scottish Health Service, 1997, "Births in Scotland 1976-1995," ISD Scotland, on line [http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/mat_bis_bis7695.pdf].

© 2010-2022, 2025 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 11 May 2025.
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health region	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	health region
Ayrshire and Arran	662	675	670	735	656	685	649	700	702	693	663	663	702	732	722	810	804	812	734	817	730	786	697	724	746	685	729	820	757	753	703	832	942	Ayrshire and Arran
Borders	179	181	164	190	147	163	195	178	152	168	155	176	201	208	191	238	203	207	150	214	208	189	177	162	142	183	192	193	197	174	204	240	249	Borders
Dumfries and Galloway	243	251	216	233	221	219	253	245	236	257	260	231	262	281	259	296	288	293	294	292	294	257	231	253	235	256	257	262	254	266	271	313	353	Dumfries and Galloway
Fife	815	749	757	751	752	736	680	784	770	823	809	844	850	824	801	864	967	1,022	951	898	885	909	876	804	849	859	879	866	910	876	848	974	998	Fife
Forth Valley	504	529	493	575	508	567	567	601	609	606	571	565	570	594	615	626	634	687	641	676	624	618	648	649	634	703	708	784	813	742	722	923	972	Forth Valley
Grampian	1,316	1,280	1,362	1,402	1,352	1,451	1,473	1,432	1,342	1,214	1,266	1,329	1,352	1,400	1,354	1,342	1,557	1,535	1,468	1,405	1,339	1,425	1,392	1,325	1,306	1,237	1,248	1,314	1,378	1,385	1,349	1,657	1,832	Grampian
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	2,467	2,441	2,579	2,643	2,652	2,902	2,966	2,960	2,890	2,852	3,030	2,834	2,851	2,948	3,131	3,367	3,231	3,250	3,063	3,046	2,846	2,767	2,650	2,693	2,822	2,789	2,988	3,139	3,342	3,510	3,563	4,181	4,495	Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Highland	585	572	605	548	499	578	613	601	577	526	557	527	523	508	489	534	571	521	471	553	552	491	490	501	515	496	483	554	561	540	542	635	711	Highland
(Argyll and Cylde)						(737)	(821)	(778)	(761)																									(Argyll and Cylde)
Islands	73	103	96	103	102	96	92	87	92	86	63	91	87	82	66	73	73	67	81	50	64	68	64	66	52	60	67	51	72	77	70	77	105	Islands
Lanarkshire	895	898	910	885	910	916	886	897	1,033	1,027	1,092	1,053	1,021	1,139	1,168	1,221	1,434	1,564	1,471	1,549	1,400	1,452	1,353	1,378	1,337	1,426	1,475	1,586	1,599	1,693	1,809	2,253	2,560	Lanarkshire
Lothian	2,104	1,999	2,089	2,276	2,243	2,499	2,547	2,616	2,626	2,554	2,576	2,439	2,564	2,554	2,568	2,547	2,672	2,721	2,536	2,307	2,450	2,470	2,337	2,289	2,423	2,384	2,432	2,603	2,631	2,771	2,636	3,044	3,434	Lothian
Tayside	1,160	1,067	1,089	1,002	1,072	1,128	1,143	1,252	1,111	1,170	1,066	1,088	1,284	1,149	1,241	1,191	1,299	1,193	1,213	1,121	1,140	1,111	1,011	1,064	1,077	1,050	1,096	1,189	1,131	1,191	1,214	1,475	1,550	Tayside
SCOTLAND UNKNOWN	755	619	470	391	308	346	345	482	348	345	337	337	368	359	330	384	377	297	277	254	233	212	182	162	174	180	187	171	179	123	150	176		SCOTLAND UNKNOWN
SCOTLAND TOTAL	11,758	11,364	11,500	11,734	11,422	12,286	12,409	12,835	12,488	12,321	12,445	12,177	12,635	12,778	12,935	13,493	14,110	14,169	13,350	13,182	12,765	12,755	12,108	12,070	12,312	12,308	12,741	13,532	13,824	14,101	14,081	16,780	18,201	SCOTLAND TOTAL

health region	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	health region
Ayrshire and Arran	4,861	4,574	4,547	4,332	4,213	4,122	3,760	4,056	3,746	3,671	3,675	3,491	3,602	3,707	3,613	3,829	3,861	3,919	3,914	3,819	3,887	3,701	3,647	3,571	3,612	3,495	3,281	3,233	3,137	3,037	2,965	2,812	2,843	Ayrshire and Arran
Borders	1,234	1,165	1,116	1,127	1,155	1,133	1,144	1,044	1,054	1,068	1,066	1,021	1,047	1,051	1,047	1,109	1,169	1,138	1,157	1,161	1,108	1,139	1,138	1,081	1,037	1,005	989	984	916	845	852	847	825	Borders
Dumfries and Galloway	1,673	1,632	1,698	1,706	1,615	1,611	1,569	1,514	1,402	1,369	1,283	1,343	1,307	1,431	1,407	1,471	1,507	1,430	1,507	1,445	1,396	1,390	1,327	1,286	1,256	1,318	1,248	1,198	1,153	1,137	1,083	1,093	1,123	Dumfries and Galloway
Fife	4,368	4,273	4,302	4,107	3,991	3,825	3,346	3,849	3,660	3,498	3,642	3,536	3,642	3,735	3,831	3,999	4,076	4,349	4,135	4,172	4,268	4,019	3,872	3,889	3,755	3,739	3,465	3,479	3,325	3,144	3,157	2,990	2,939	Fife
Forth Valley	3,547	3,446	3,336	3,152	3,163	3,178	2,975	3,153	3,028	2,921	2,817	2,820	2,926	3,171	3,136	3,211	3,405	3,454	3,345	3,330	3,154	3,255	3,025	3,114	2,939	2,877	2,907	2,715	2,611	2,572	2,634	2,530	2,414	Forth Valley
Grampian	6,752	6,801	6,647	6,640	6,182	6,038	6,194	5,954	5,780	5,320	5,213	5,300	5,195	5,317	5,404	5,688	6,108	6,323	6,433	6,254	6,276	6,470	6,153	6,332	6,405	6,271	5,917	5,859	5,476	5,149	5,226	4,834	4,924	Grampian
Greater Glasgow	12,802	12,124	11,779	11,394	11,069	10,997	10,307	10,296	9,861	13,133	13,012	12,515	12,831	13,095	13,310	13,073	13,751	14,221	14,015	14,106	14,067	14,072	12,583	12,788	12,275	12,082	12,126	11,623	11,424	10,473	10,638	10,966	10,666	Greater Glasgow
Highland	2,609	2,682	2,512	2,466	2,395	2,379	2,563	2,451	2,223	2,945	2,911	2,732	2,817	2,982	3,006	2,940	3,072	3,289	3,189	3,230	3,090	3,145	2,942	3,037	2,908	2,849	2,754	2,653	2,597	2,457	2,484	2,488	2,367	Highland
(Argyll and Cylde)	5,616	5,471	5,225	5,005	5,103	4,980	4,910	4,645	4,538	(4,421)	(4,136)	(4,028)	(4,095)	(4,390)	(4,296)																			(Argyll and Cylde)
Islands	856	873	820	865	817	766	813	733	737	606	647	615	677	624	640	755	697	749	699	698	682	714	708	660	647	682	617	607	587	542	552	552	513	Islands
Lanarkshire	7,510	7,269	7,131	6,873	6,733	6,841	5,974	6,028	6,493	6,220	6,025	5,992	6,045	6,497	6,283	6,584	6,548	6,848	6,575	6,445	6,502	6,145	7,010	7,121	6,901	6,826	6,763	6,540	6,547	5,969	6,405	6,309	6,121	Lanarkshire
Lothian	9,953	9,735	9,363	9,362	9,195	9,071	8,616	8,781	8,750	8,479	8,331	8,210	8,414	8,454	8,723	9,027	9,378	9,886	6,719	9,824	9,794	9,827	9,588	9,628	9,386	9,418	9,037	8,748	8,511	8,151	8,426	8,127	7,931	Lothian
Tayside	4,856	4,880	4,746	4,378	4,352	4,332	3,846	4,196	3,979	3,846	3,905	3,695	3,929	3,893	3,986	4,004	4,209	4,435	4,358	4,307	4,366	4,150	4,021	4,218	3,977	3,926	3,757	3,669	3,579	3,333	3,364	3,411	3,269	Tayside
SCOTLAND TOTAL	66,740	65,046	63,293	61,506	60,096	59,273	56,017	56,700	55,251	53,076	52,527	51,270	52,432	53,957	54,386	55,690	57,781	60,041	59,046	58,791	58,590	58,027	56,014	56,725	55,098	54,488	52,861	51,308	49,863	46,809	47,786	46,959	45,935	SCOTLAND TOTAL