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The Abortion Services Annual Report 2025 was quietly released this month and signals a massive jump in abortions from 13,246 in 2020 to almost 18,000 each year.
This is a disturbing trend with the number of abortions increasing 34 per cent since abortion was decriminalised (while New Zealand was going into lockdown to protect vulnerable people from Covid!), and no signs of the numbers decreasing any time soon. There has been a 25 per cent increase in just the past 24 months alone.
Last year, 17,785 abortions were performed. This means that on average, every day, almost 50 children are killed in the womb in New Zealand.
The ratio of abortions has increased since the law change from 18.6 per cent to about 23.2 per cent of known pregnancies ending in an abortion.
Disturbingly, Māori are disproportionately represented, accessing 27 per cent of all abortion procedures in 2024. According to the report, socioeconomic deprivation also remains a key indicator for differences in rate of abortion access. Those living in more socioeconomically deprived deciles tended to access abortion services at a greater rate.
This begs the question – what is the government doing to support families and those facing pregnancy so that cost factors aren’t pressuring people to terminate their pregnancy.
There has also been a 60 per cent increase in late-term abortions (over 20 weeks) between 2020 (102) and 2024 (164) – despite claims that late-term abortions wouldn’t be allowed except in exceptional circumstances.
The report dedicates only a short one-page commentary on counselling and support for the women involved, and there is no mention of post-abortion regret or follow-up.
The report also acknowledges that there were eight failed abortions – confirming our earlier data released in November showing that, almost monthly, an unborn child is surviving an attempted abortion according to official government data.
The report has conveniently excluded information on the number of repeat abortions – which is usually reported. The use of abortion as contraception should be disclosed – even if it’s an inconvenient truth.
As expected, the biologically-ignorant report refers to “females” only 17 times (woman = 0) but the term “person” or “people” is used 100 times – despite the biological fact that only women can get pregnant.
Taking abortion out of the criminal code and inserting it into health legislation has given the unborn baby the same status as an appendix, gall bladder or tonsils – simply ’tissue’ removed as part of a ‘health procedure’.
But anyone who has viewed the ultrasound of an unborn child will know that this is a gross abuse of human rights. It also creates inconsistency with other legislation and public health messaging which clearly recognises the rights of the unborn child.
Ironically, the report writers try to justify their own conscience by suggesting that earlier abortions are somehow more justified than later abortions – but that involves a tacit admission that there is a developing life involved.
READ MORE about New Zealand’s Abortion Law.
This article was originally published by Family First New Zealand.
