New government statistics show that a quarter of pregnancies in England and Wales in 2019 ended in abortion.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded 821,809 conceptions among English and Welsh residents in 2019, of which 207,384 were terminated.

It equates to 25.2% of pregnancies among women in all age groups being aborted that year - the highest percentage since records began.

The ONS said: "The percentage of conceptions leading to a legal abortion among all women in England and Wales increased from 24 per cent in 2018 to 25.2 per cent in 2019, the second year in a row this has increased for all age groups".

Figures for 2020 released in June by the Department of Health and Social Care show that there were 209,917 abortions among women resident in England and Wales, the highest number since the Abortion Act came into effect in 1968. 

Commenting on the figures, Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson, said: "It is a tragedy that over a quarter of all pregnancies in England and Wales ended due to abortion in 2019.

"Every one of these abortions represents a failure of our society to protect the lives of babies in the womb and a failure to offer full support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

"This significant rise in abortions in 2020 will likely mean that this statistic will be even higher for 2020. This is especially worrying given that the introduction of the home abortion scheme has put so many women at risk of complications, and has facilitated a number of illegal abortions past the legal term limit for 'at home' abortions.

"We are therefore calling on the UK and Welsh Governments to end these 'DIY' home abortion schemes immediately."