New international data show that abortion accounted for more deaths worldwide in 2025 than any other single cause, with more than 73 million procedures performed globally. The estimate is based on modeling by the World Health Organization and compiled by the global statistics platform Worldometers. According to the data, the global abortion rate is approximately 39 per 1,000 women ages 15 to 49. Out of an estimated 121 million unintended pregnances, about 61% of them end in abortion each year.
When compared with other causes of death in 2025, abortion far exceeded cancer, smoking-related illnesses, infectious diseases, and HIV/AIDS. Worldometers reported an estimated 140 million total deaths worldwide, with abortion accounting for nearly 52 percent of that total.
In the United States, an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 abortions occur daily. Based on Guttmacher Institute data, about one in five pregnancies ends in abortion. Since 1973, approximately 66 million abortions have occurred nationwide. The updated global estimates include both legal and illegal procedures and reflect population growth, expanded access to abortion drugs, and improved tracking methods.
