Teenage pregnancies in Scotland down by two-thirds since 2007

The number of teenage pregnancies in Scotland has reduced by almost two-thirds since 2007, new figures show.

The teenage pregnancy rate in Scotland is at its lowest level since reporting began three decades ago and fell for the 13th year in a row.

The latest Public Health Scotland figures for 2020 show there were 3,300 pregnancies in women under 20, half of which ended in terminations.

In 2007 there were 9,362 teenage pregnancies.

About 40% (3,703) ended in a termination.

Overall in 2020, there were fewer than 47,000 births in Scotland. One in every 36 was to a teenage mother.

The latest figures put the rate of conception in women under the age of 20 at 23.9 per 1,000. In 2007, it was 57.7 per 1,000.

The 2020 stats show there were eight pregnancies in girls under 14 and 165 in under-16s, down from 731 in 2007.

There were 1,024 pregnancies in the under-18 age group but the majority (69%) were women who were 18 and 19 at conception.

The rate of teenage pregnancy varied across the country, with West Dunbartonshire (33.2 per 1,000), Clackmannanshire (32.8 per 1,000) and Dundee (31.8 per 1,000) having the highest rates.

Argyll and Bute (12.5% per 1,000) and East Renfrewshire (15.1 per 1,000) had the lowest rate of teenage pregnancy.

Glasgow had a rate of 30.1 per 1,000 and Edinburgh was 23.

In the past decade all council areas have seen a reduction in the numbers and rates of teenage pregnancy but the largest decrease was in Midlothian where rates fell from 60.1 per 1,000 women in 2011 to 28.2 in 2020.

The report said the proportion of teenage pregnancies that result in termination rather than delivery had increased gradually over time. However, the overall number of terminations in this age group had reduced.

Teenage pregnancy rates were reduced across all levels of deprivation but they fell more rapidly in the most deprived areas, the report said.

However, in 2020, those living in the areas of highest deprivation still had teenage pregnancy rates five times higher than those in the least deprived (44.9 compared to nine per 1,000 women).

Teenagers from the most deprived areas are more likely to deliver than to terminate their pregnancy, the report said.

Figures in the report show the teenage pregnancy rate in Scotland (23.9 per 1,000) was lower than England and Wales (26.3 per 1,000).