In the Guardian today:

A record number of abortions took place in England and Wales last year in a trend experts said was driven by financial uncertainty caused by Covid-19. There were 214,869 terminations during 2021, the highest number since the procedure became legal in Great Britain through the 1967 Abortion Act, the latest annual abortion statistics published on Tuesday show. Numbers have been going up every year since 2016.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/21/record-number-of-abortions-in-england-and-wales-amid-financial-insecurity

From Public Health Scotland in May 2022:

The rate of terminations in Scotland in 2021 was 13.4 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 (13.5 in 2020). The number of terminations undertaken in 2021 was 13,758, a slight reduction from the 13,896 terminations undertaken in 2020.

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics-year-ending-december-2021/

The population of England and Wales is 59.1 million, 11 times greater than that of Scotland. So, all things being equal, the number of terminations would be 11 times greater too, at roughly 151 000 but in 2021 it was much higher at nearly 215 000, 42% greater!

These are shocking data. No doubt the causes are many but, in the light of the Guardian speculation on financial insecurity, might this be a factor in Scotland?

Child poverty in Scotland is at half the rate of England. Why?

Two reasons. More affordable housing (https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/poverty-scotland-2021) and the Child Payment:

The Scottish Government’s decisive and compassionate move to bring in the new Scottish Child Payment is the lifeline children and their families need, and is a beacon of progressive policy for the rest of the UK.

https://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/scottish-child-payment-will-turn-tide-child-poverty

What is the Child Payment, unique to Scotland?

Scottish Child Payment helps towards the costs of supporting your family. It’s a weekly payment of £20 that you can get for every child you look after who’s under 6 years of age. You’ll get the payment every 4 weeks if your application is successful.

https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment#:~:text=Contents&text=Scottish%20Child%20Payment%20helps%20towards,if%20your%20application%20is%20successful.