People's Republic of China: abortion rates by region

3 August 2005

The PRC government releases little raw data on live births and birth rates for regions. The abortion ratios below are from Thomas Scharping (2003), with abortion percentages derived from the ratios.

PRC abortion-related figures at the regional level are known to be incomplete based on comparison to nationwide totals reported by the PRC's National Population and Family Planning Commission, which in turn may not have accurate figures.

Reported or estimated abortion ratios by region (from Scharping, 2003)

region 1965 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Anhui 120 290 450 550 480 250

Beijing 350 350 350 550 300 180 130

Chongqing

Fujian 70 510 820 700 520 290

Gansu 50 370 240 180 130 200

Guangdong 80 100 600 690 690 650 550

Guangxi 130 680 450 800 650 460

Guizhou 20 60 380 410 410 390 360

Hainan 100 470 500 410 400 310

Hebei 80 120 570 690 400 260 100

Heilongjiang 120 230 250 210 110 60

Henan 70 470 770 830 140 110

Hubei 160 420 480 460 370 240

Hunan 30 120 520 680 800 360 240

Jiangsu 150 210 480 570 470 270 250

Jiangxi 100 330 410 510 300 340

Jilin 50 130 200 220 400 200 100

Liaoning 160 150 210 160 90 70

Nei Mongol
(Inner Mongolia) 90 250 230 270 160 120

Ningxia 80 220 220 220 150 90

Qinghai 70 270 240 170 160 80

Shaanxi 80 410 470 390 390 250

Shandong 190 630 830 490 140 60

Shanghai 440 410 2,050 2,560 2,470 2,870 2,800

Shanxi 80 210 240 270 350 260

Sichuan 280 450 480 330 260 240

Tianjin 380 270 350 360 250 200 210

Xinjiang Uygur 90 330 210 230 160 80

Xizang
(Tibet) 110

Yunnan 120 550 570 510 300 190

Zhejiang 180 580 540 420 320 270

Hong Kong 240 310 320 340 364 388

Macau

P.R. CHINA TOTAL (DERIVED) 130 450 500 470 300 220

P.R. CHINA TOTAL (REPORTED) 538 581 549 492 439 395 440 323 371 524 371

Reported or estimated abortion percentages by region

region 1965 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Anhui 11 22 31 35 32 20

Beijing 26 26 26 35 23 15 12

Chongqing

Fujian 7 34 45 41 34 22

Gansu 5 27 19 15 12 17

Guangdong 7 9 38 41 41 39 35

Guangxi 12 40 31 44 39 32

Guizhou 2 6 28 29 29 28 26

Hainan 9 32 33 29 29 24

Hebei 7 11 36 41 29 21 9

Heilongjiang 11 19 20 17 10 6

Henan 7 32 44 45 12 10

Hubei 14 30 32 32 27 19

Hunan 3 11 34 40 44 26 19

Jiangsu 13 17 32 36 32 21 20

Jiangxi 9 25 29 34 23 25

Jilin 5 12 17 18 29 17 9

Liaoning 14 13 17 14 8 7

Nei Mongol
(Inner Mongolia) 8 20 19 21 14 11

Ningxia 7 18 18 18 13 8

Qinghai 7 21 19 15 14 7

Shaanxi 7 29 32 28 28 20

Shandong 16 39 45 33 12 6

Shanghai 31 29 67.2 71.9 71.2 74.2 73.7

Shanxi 7 17 19 21 26 21

Sichuan 22 31 32 25 21 19

Tianjin 28 21 26 26 20 17 17

Xinjiang Uygur 8 25 17 19 14 7

Xizang
(Tibet) 10

Yunnan 11 35 36 34 23 16

Zhejiang 15 37 35 30 24 21

Hong Kong 19 24 24 25 26.7 27.9

Macau

P.R. CHINA TOTAL (DERIVED) 12 31 33 32 23 18

P.R. CHINA TOTAL (REPORTED) 35 37 35 33 31 28 31 24 27 34 27

Data for P.R.China regions, average annual figures for 1990-1994, 1996

region type abortion % abortion % ranking

Anhui province 28.8 12

Beijing municipality 23.2 20

Chongqing municipality

Fujian province 36.2 4

Gansu province 18.3 23

Guangdong province 38.9 2

Guangxi autonomous region 37.8 3

Guizhou province 28.1 15

Hainan province 29.5 10

Hebei province 28.8 13

Heilongjiang province 14.7 29

Henan province 31.7 6

Hubei province 28.3 14

Hunan province 34.2 5

Jiangsu province 29.0 11

Jiangxi province 27.4 17

Jilin province 18.3 24

Liaoning province 12.0 30

Nei Mongol
(Inner Mongolia) autonomous region 17.1 25

Ningxia autonomous region 15.3 28

Qinghai province 15.5 27

Shaanxi province 27.6 16

Shandong province 30.1 7

Shanghai municipality 71.8 1

Shanxi province 21.0 22

Sichuan province 26.0 18

Tianjin municipality 21.5 21

Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region 16.8 26

Xizang
(Tibet) autonomous region 9.9 31

Yunnan province 29.8 9

Zhejiang province 29.9 8

Hong Kong special adm. region 25.6 19

Macau special adm. region

region	type	abortion %	abortion % ranking
Anhui	province	28.8	12
Beijing	municipality	23.2	20
Chongqing	municipality
Fujian	province	36.2	4
Gansu	province	18.3	23
Guangdong	province	38.9	2
Guangxi	autonomous region	37.8	3
Guizhou	province	28.1	15
Hainan	province	29.5	10
Hebei	province	28.8	13
Heilongjiang	province	14.7	29
Henan	province	31.7	6
Hubei	province	28.3	14
Hunan	province	34.2	5
Jiangsu	province	29.0	11
Jiangxi	province	27.4	17
Jilin	province	18.3	24
Liaoning	province	12.0	30
Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia)	autonomous region	17.1	25
Ningxia	autonomous region	15.3	28
Qinghai	province	15.5	27
Shaanxi	province	27.6	16
Shandong	province	30.1	7
Shanghai	municipality	71.8	1
Shanxi	province	21.0	22
Sichuan	province	26.0	18
Tianjin	municipality	21.5	21
Xinjiang Uygur	autonomous region	16.8	26
Xizang (Tibet)	autonomous region	9.9	31
Yunnan	province	29.8	9
Zhejiang	province	29.9	8
Hong Kong	special adm. region	25.6	19
Macau	special adm. region

Sources:

China Statistical Yearbook, on line.
Greenhalgh, Susan, and Edwin A. Windkler, Sept. 2001, Perspective Series: Chinese State Birth Planning in the 1990s and Beyond, Immigration and Naturalization Service (Washington, DC), on line, INS [http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/services/asylum/ric/documentation/pschn01001.pdf].
Lavely, William, "First impressions of the 2000 census of China," 4 Nov. 2001, on line [http://csde.washington.edu/downloads/downloader/dl.pl?id=01-13.pdf].
National Population and Family Planning Commission, 2005, "Crude birth rate of population by region, 1997-2002", National Population and Family Planning Commission of China, on line [http://www.npfpc.gov.cn/en/endata_6.htm].
National Population and Family Planning Commission, 2005, "Total population at the end of year by region, 1997-2002", National Population and Family Planning Commission of China, on line [http://www.npfpc.gov.cn/en/endata_5.htm].
National Population and Family Planning Commission, 2005, "Total population, crude birth rate, crude death rate, natural increase rate and total fertility rate", National Population and Family Planning Commission of China, on line [http://www.npfpc.gov.cn/en/endata_1.htm].
Poston, Dudley L. Jr., and David Yaukey, eds., 1992, The Population of Modern China, Plenum Press (New York, NY).
Scharping, Thomas, 2003, Birth Control in China 1949-2000: Population Policy and Demographic Development, RoutledgeCurzon (London, UK).
some cumulative figures from Historical abortion statistics, People's Republic of China.

© 2004, 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 3 August 2005.
Return to Home. Return to Other Policy Issues. Return to Abortion Statistics.