Right To Life UK has marked the 58th anniversary of the Abortion Act by highlighting the scale of abortions carried out in Britain since the law was passed, estimating that nearly 11 million babies have lost their lives.
The group noted that 27 October marked 58 years since the Act received royal assent in 1967. Based on official data, it calculated that 10,880,563 abortions have taken place in Britain since the law came into effect. As figures for 2023-2025 are not yet available, the estimate assumes that abortion rates for those years matched those recorded in 2022.
According to the organisation, the numbers translate to one baby aborted every two minutes, or around 31 per hour. The 2022 total was the highest on record, a 17 per cent rise from 2021, partly attributed to the continuation of at-home abortion services first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Right To Life UK warned that the relaxed rules allowing at-home abortions remain in place, making it likely that high numbers have continued since then.
The anniversary comes as the House of Lords debates a controversial amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, which was passed by the House of Commons. The amendment would remove all criminal penalties for illegal abortions, effectively permitting abortion up to birth.
Crossbench peer Lord Alton has strongly opposed the proposal, describing it as a “grotesque measure” that turns a Bill on crime and public order into a vehicle for “extreme pro-abortion views.”
Right To Life UK has joined Lord Alton in supporting further amendments to the Bill that would restore the requirement for an in-person medical consultation before any abortion.
The group cited polling data showing that only one per cent of Britons support abortion being legal up to birth, while 70 per cent of women favour lowering the current 24-week limit to 20 weeks or less.
Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said the country’s abortion laws continue to “fail both women and unborn babies.” She added:
“Since the Abortion Act received royal assent in 1967, a devastating 10,880,563 lives have been lost to abortion, each one a precious, unique and irreplaceable human being who was denied the right to life. Each of these abortions represents a collective failure of our society to protect babies in the womb and to provide full support to women with unplanned pregnancies.”
Robinson encouraged supporters to contact MPs and peers to advocate for stronger legal protections for unborn children and greater support for expectant mothers.
Adapted from CT UK.
