Table 1: Estimates of annual incidence of unsafe abortion, rate and ratio by regions, around the year 1900 and 2000

  Around the year 1990   Around the year 2000
  Estimated number of unsafe abortions (000s) Unsafe abortions per  1000 women 15- 49 years   Estimated number of unsafe abortions (000s) Unsafe abortions to  100 live births Unsafe abortions per 1000 women 15- 44 years
World 20 000 15   19 000 14 14
   Developed countries* 2 340 8   500 4 2
   Less Developed countries 17 620 17   18 500 15 16
Africa 3 740 26   4 200 14 24
   Eastern Africa 1340 31   1 700 16 31
   Middle Africa 180 12   400 9 22
   Northern Africa 510 16   700 15 17
   Southern Africa 230 22   200 16 17
   Western Africa 1480 34   1 200 13 25
Asia * 9 240 12   10 500 14 13
   Eastern Asia * ** **   ** ** **
   South-central Asia       7 200 18 22
   South-eastern Asia 2850 25   2 700 23 21
   Southern Asia 6000 21        
   Western Asia 380 13        
  South-western       500 10 12
Europe       500 7 3
   Eastern Europe 110 5   400 14 6
   Northern Europe ** **   10 1 1
   Southern Europe 150 4   100 7 3
   'Western Europe ** **   ** ** **
Latin America and Caribbean 4 620 41   3 700 32 29
   Caribbean 170 19   100 15 12
   Central America 890 31   700 20 21
   South America 3560 47   2 900 39 34
Oceania 20 17   30 12 17

Source: For 1993 (WHO, 1993).For 2000: (WHO,2004)
(a) Figures may not exactly add up to total, because of rounding
* Japan, Australia and New Zealand have been excluded from the regional estimates but are included in the total for developed countries.
** No estimates are shown for regions where the 'incidence is negligible