Wales
Underage pregnancies
Key points
- In 2006, there were around 230 births to girls conceiving under age 16. A further 270 conceptions were aborted.
- The number of pregnancies to girls conceiving under age 16 is somewhat lower than a decade ago. All of the fall has been in the number of conceptions that subsequently led to births, with the number of abortions broadly unchanged.
- The proportion of girls aged 13 to 15 conceiving a child is highest in Blaenau Gwent, Rhondda, Cynon, Taff and Merthyr Tydfil – around 12 per 1,000 – compared with 5 per 1,000 in Powys.
- The conception rate among girls who conceived between the ages of 13 and 15 in Wales is similar to the Great Britain average.
Graph 1: Over time
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Graph 2: by LA
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Map
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Graph 3: Compared to GB
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Definitions and data sources
The first graph shows the number of conceptions per year to girls conceiving under the age of 16, with the data shown separately for delivered babies and for abortions.
The second graph shows how the conception rate for girls aged 13 to 15 varies by local authority, with the data shown separately for delivered babies and for abortions. To improve statistical reliability, the data is averaged for the six years to 2005.
The third graph shows how the conception rate for girls aged 13 to 15 in Wales compares with the rest of Great Britain, with the data shown separately for delivered babies and for abortions. To improve statistical reliability, the data is averaged for the latest three years.
The data source for all the graphs is the Office of National Statistics.
Overall adequacy of the indicator: medium. The collection of the conception and births statistics is an established process.