‘Great tragedy’ as abortions in Scotland hit record high

The total number of abortions in Scotland has risen to yet another high, new figures have revealed.

Public Health Scotland’s annual report showed that there were 18,783 abortions in 2025, breaking the previous year’s record of 18,717.

In almost 60 per cent of cases, a woman took both pills during an unsupervised DIY abortion at home, and overall, more than 40 per cent had previously aborted an unborn child.

‘Extreme’

The Christian Institute’s Social Policy Analyst Dr Sharon James commented: “Many claim that abortion provides freedom for women. They say it’s ‘necessary health care’, even a ‘reproductive right’. But in reality, women have been let down by this dreadful lie.

“The way to abortion is often paved with bitter tears. And it’s often followed by years of endless regret. Abortion has become the ‘choice’ that many women are expected to make. But if they are only offered one choice, that’s no choice at all.”

She added: “Every single one of these abortions in 2025 represents a baby’s life lost. Every one represents a mother in Scotland who has been betrayed by a false promise. In every case, both lives matter.

“With figures rising year on year, we must recommit to praying and working for the day when abortion is regarded as utterly unthinkable – a relic of a barbaric past.”

Sex-selective abortion

The figures come after the Scottish Government’s Abortion Law Review Expert Group called for abortion to be allowed beyond 24 weeks gestation for almost any reason.

The Christian Institute’s Joanna Timm highlighted the “reckless” nature of the recommendations: “This review was not about evidence or hearing from a wide range of stakeholders. It was driven by activists like Engender whose demands are totally out of kilter with the Scottish public.

“The review calls for repeal of many of the remaining safeguards that protect vulnerable women and their unborn babies, opening the door to more coercion of women, and to abortion on demand up to birth.”

Among other controversial proposals, the group opposed mandatory counselling, stronger protections against coercion, and a prohibition on sex-selective abortion.