Abortion trends in Japan, 1975-95

In this study, recent trends in the incidence of induced abortion are analyzed in order to identify the target population and its requirements for family planning policy in Japan. Abortion statistics from 1975 to 1995 from the Ministry of Health and Welfare are reviewed. The abortion rate (the number of cases of induced abortion per 1,000 women per year) for women younger than 20 increased during the study period. The abortion ratio (number of cases per 1,000 live births) remained the highest among women aged 40-44. An increase in the abortion ratio was seen in the two youngest groups (younger than 20 and 20-24), especially among those who were born after 1955. The proportion of abortions experienced by women younger than 25 increased from 18 percent between 1976 and 1980 to 30 percent between 1991 and 1995, and a slight increase was also observed among women aged 40-44. The proportion of abortions performed after eight weeks of a pregnancy for the two youngest groups remained higher than that for older age groups during 1975-95. The analysis demonstrates that women younger than 25 should be the principal concern of family planning policy in Japan. Further investigations on unintended pregnancy are recommended.