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Abortion Statistics for Russia

There's a discrepancy about who takes first place in the world for the most abortions. But it's really not a position nor a viewpoint that we, in Russia, would like to take. Yet the truth is, as the facts reveal, Russia has indeed one of the highest abortion rates in the world.

The truth is also that "Russia is facing a demographic time-bomb as the ageing population is dying at a higher rate than the birth rate. i   See: "We cannot but tell" link

Abortions: 1.6 million, Births: 1.5 million. ii

Percentage of Pregnancies Aborted--by Percentage
Percent of known pregnancies ending in legal abortions, most recent data (in order of decreasing percentage) iii

Country Year % Notes
Russia 2002 58.2 data incomplete
Ukraine 2000 53.0  
Belarus 2001 52.5  
Romania 2003 51.2 data incomplete




Note: most of the following data is derived from reported rates, so these figures are approximate. iv

Region Totals Live Births 1993 Abortions 1993 Abortion Ratio 1993 Abortion % 1993 Abortion Ratio 2000 Abortion % 2000
RUSSIA 1,380,000 3,210,000 2,330 70 1,690 63
North 53,000 117,000 2,200 69    
North-West 57,000 153,000 2,670 73    
Central 229,000 602,000 2,620 72    
Volga-Vyatka 76,000 188,000 2,490 71    
Central Chernozyom 69,000 169,000 2,450 71    
Volga 164,000 395,000 2,400 71    
North Caucasus 192,000 298,000 1,550 61    
Urals 201,000 503,000 2,500 71    
Perm' 30,000 72,000 2,450 71 1,900 65
Western Siberia 145,000 339,000 2,330 70    
Eastern Siberia  102,000 239,000 2,340 70    
Far East 83,000 183,000 2,220 69    

MosNews, "Every Third Russian Abortion Ends in Patient's Death," April 8, 2005. Abortion: August 25, 2005, "Abortions Outstrip Births in Russia.

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston, last updated 13 August 2005; Global Abortion Summary," version 3, March 2000,© 2000-2004, 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston

Sources: Wites, Tomasz, 2004, "Abortions in Russia before and after the fall of the Soviet Union," Miscellanea Geographica, 11:217-228. ZdravReform Program, Sept. 1994, "Russian Federation and Territories Data Base: Health and Economic Indicators," on line. © 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston.

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