Abortion Rate Falls by Half

The abortion rate for Korean women has fallen by half over the last five years, according to a survey. Experts attribute this to a change in the social perception of abortion, the wide range of contraception available, and a rise in planned pregnancies.

Based on the survey of 4,000 women between 15 and 44 nationwide late last year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare last Friday said the number of abortions per 1,000 women fell from 29.8 in 2005 to 15.8 last year.

The number of abortions across the country dropped by 51 percent from about 340,000 in 2005 to some 170,000 last year, the ministry estimated. The nationwide survey was conducted for the first time since 2005.

The country's abortion rate  is lower than in the U.S. (18.9), France (17.6), and the U.K. (16.8), but still far higher than in Japan (10.3), Italy (10.2), and Germany (7.2).