Stable abortion numbers

Small changes were registered in abortion rates from 1997 to 1998 in Norway. The rate dropped among teenagers, while the sharpest increase occurred in the age group 20-24. There were very few changes in the older age groups.

In 1998, 14,028 pregnancies were terminated. This is an increase of 43, or 0.3 per cent compared with 1997. The number of abortions in 1998 was low in comparison to most previous years. Only 1995 and 1997 show lower abortion numbers since 1983.
The total number of requests for abortions was 15,199. Of these, 14,028 resulted in an abortion. A total of 14,680 requests were submitted before the end of the 12^th week of pregnancy as required under Norway's Abortion on Request Act, while 519 requests were considered by appeal boards. Of the 14,680 requests for elective abortion, 13,606 resulted in termination of pregnancy. The reasons why the remaining 1,074 requests did not result in an abortion was that the woman withdrew her request or was a no-show (659 cases), had a miscarriage before the scheduled procedure (306 cases) or was not pregnant (39 cases). Other reasons or no reason given accounted for 92 cases. Of the 519 applications considered by appeal boards, 455 requests were granted. Forty-five were rejected, while no decision was made in 19 cases because the woman failed to appear, had a miscarriage before her case was to be decided, or for other reasons. The 455 requests granted by boards resulted in altogether 422 terminations of pregnancy.
Highest abortion rate among 19 and 20-year-olds
Generally speaking, the abortion rate since the mid-80s has risen sharply with the age of the woman up to the age of 20, after which it tapers off until it, for natural reasons, reaches the zero point at age 50. In the initial years after abortion on demand became law in 1979, the peak occurred somewhat before age 20. Divided into five age groups, the age group 20-24 has had the highest abortion rate every year since 1982. In the first three years under the current abortion act the rate was the highest among 15 to 19-year-olds. Since 1989, the teenage group has also had a lower abortion rate than the 25-29 age group.

New Statistics
Statistics on abortions, 1998.
The statistics are published annually in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. For more information contact: Jens-Kristian.Borgan@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 45 37.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 16, 1999