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Voluntary termination of pregnancy. By motives, type of centre, marital status and age of the woman

Voluntary termination of pregnancy. By motives, type of centre, marital status and age of the woman Catalonia. 2023
Value Variation (%)
Legal motive (1)
Endangered life, physical or psychological health of the woman .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available
Defective foetus .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available
Rape .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available
More than one motive .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available
By request of the mother 20,746 3.2
Adnger to health of mother-medical causes 1,038 -11.4
Risk of foetal anomalies 479 -11.9
Foetal anomalies incompatible with life 44 -30.2
Combination of rasons 0 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available
Type of centre
Non-hospital (1) 19,755 2.7
Hospital 2,552 -3.4
Marital status
Single 16,687 5.0
Married 4,432 -5.2
Widow 43 -2.3
Divorced 530 -7.8
Separated 362 -5.5
Not stated 253 -20.7
Age
<15 years 60 7.1
15-19 years 2,222 -1.1
20-24 years 5,248 3.7
25-29 years 4,946 4.1
30-34 years 4,455 2.2
35-39 years 3,527 -1.2
40-44 years 1,688 0.2
45 years or more 161 -0.6
Not stated .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available
Total 22,307 1.9
Source: Ministry of Health.
Notes:
Since the entry in force of Organic Law 2/2010, of March 3, on sexual and reproductive health and voluntary interruption of pregnancy (BOE 2010; (55):1-14), the legal motives are presented in a different classification.
(1) Authorized centres.
(..) Confidential data, low reliability or not available.

Last update: March 6, 2026.

Methodological note

Definition of concepts

Abortion
Interruption of a pregnancy before the foetus is able to survive independently.
Hospital centre
Centre that provides a permanent service, including admission, with medical and nursing care, and that provides beds for continuous attention. Hospital centres are classified according to the type of hospital care given: acute admission, socio-sanitary and psychiatric to which they dedicate 80% or more of their operative beds. If a centre provides more than one type of care, without any of them reaching 80%, then they are classed as mixed hospitals.
Non hospital centre or service
Centre or service that offers health care to patients that are not admitted to beds. Does not include external surgeries of hospital centres.

Methodological aspects

The voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP) was depenalized for the first time in Spain in 1985, in three cases: serious danger to the life or health of the pregnant woman, presumed defects in the fetus and rape.

On July 5, 2010 came into force the Law on Sexual and Reproductive Health that regulates the practice of abortion, to ensure better health care for women. The timing and motives currently authorized are: during the first 14 weeks of gestation at the request of the woman, and during the first 22 weeks of gestation, provided there is serious risk to the life or health of the pregnant woman or whenever there are serious abnormalities in the fetus. Beyond the twenty-second week of pregnancy, the Act contemplates two exceptional cases of termination of pregnancy: when detecting fetal anomalies incompatible with life, or when the fetus is found in an extremely serious and incurable disease at the time of diagnosis and so confirm a clinical committee. In addition, the Act establishes a set of guarantees relating to effective access to health provision of the voluntary termination of pregnancy and the protection of privacy and confidentiality of women.

The voluntary termination of pregnancy can be performed on all public and private health centers accredited. These centers should provide, in accordance with the Order of theDepartment of Health (1986), the information that feeds the Register of voluntary termination of pregnancy database. The first outpatient health center for this medical intervention was not accredited until December 19, 1988.

When the value is lower than that of the minimum unit to be able to estimate the statistical operation or if it effects statistical confidentiality, the symbol used is "..".