Number of abortions in Canada in 2022, by provider and territory

In 2022, the provinces with the highest number of abortions in Canada were Ontario and Quebec. That year there were around 21,589 abortions in the province of Quebec. In both Quebec and Ontario the majority of abortions were performed in clinics, however, in other provinces, such as Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, more abortions are performed in hospitals than in clinics.

The legal status of abortion in Canada

Abortion in Canada has been legal since 1988 when the Supreme Court decided that a previous law that criminalized abortion was unconstitutional. However, access to abortion varies by province and region depending on the provincial health care system. The two methods of abortion available in Canada are medical abortions, which involves taking medication, and surgical abortions such as vacuum aspiration or dilation and evacuation (D&E). Abortions in Canada are generally safe and have very few complications. In 2020, around 97 percent of abortions performed in hospitals had no complications, while just once percent resulted in hemorrhaging.

Who gets abortions in Canada?

In 2022, the highest number of abortions were performed on women aged 25 to 29 years. That year, there were around 24,923 abortions in this age group. Most women who had an abortion in Canada in 2020 had not had an abortion previously, but 15 percent had one previous abortion. Furthermore, most women who had an abortion in 2020 had not previously given birth.