Else Beekman
The number of abortions in Spain surged by 4.8% in 2023, surpassing 100,000 for the first time in a decade. A total of 103,097 voluntary pregnancy terminations were recorded, marking the highest figure in the last ten years.
The Spanish Ministry of Health expressed concern about the rise in abortions among younger women, particularly those under 20, where there were 10,934 terminations—a 4.7% increase from the previous year. The ministry highlighted the need for continued focus on sexual and reproductive education, as well as better access to contraceptives to help prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Rise in medical abortions and continued reliance on private clinics
The 2023 report also noted a significant increase in the use of medical abortions, particularly in regions like Cantabria, Navarra, the Balearic Islands, La Rioja, Galicia, and Catalonia. In Cantabria, medical abortions using pills before the eighth week of pregnancy accounted for 96% of terminations, the highest rate in Spain. However, across the country, seven out of ten were still performed surgically.
Despite efforts to prioritise public healthcare under Spain’s new abortion law, 80% of abortions continued to take place in private clinics with government contracts. The shift towards the public healthcare system remains slow, and almost all terminations were carried out at the request of the woman, with the majority occurring before eight weeks of pregnancy.
Regional disparities and contraceptive use
The report revealed disparities in abortion rates across Spain’s autonomous communities. Catalonia recorded the highest rate with 14.92 abortions per 1,000 women, followed by Madrid at 13.92 per 1,000. In contrast, Aragón had the lowest rate, with 8.4 per 1,000 women.
Another concerning trend is the low use of contraception, with nearly half of the women who had abortions reporting that they had not used any form of birth control. Additionally, for more than one-third of the women, this was not their first.