SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a steep rise in the number of medical terminations of pregnancy over the past five years, with official figures showing the count more than doubling between 2020–21 and 2023–24 before a marginal dip in the current year’s provisional data.
According to figures tabled in the Rajya Sabha on August 12, the Union Territory reported 3,532 medical terminations in 2020–21, rising to 4,983 in 2021–22, 6,036 in 2022–23 and peaking at 9,643 in 2023–24. The provisional number for 2024–25 stands at 9,193, still well above the levels recorded earlier in the decade.
In Ladakh, the number of recorded medical terminations of pregnancy has remained low but relatively steady, reflecting its small population and limited health infrastructure. Official figures show just 46 terminations in 2020–21, rising slightly to 57 in 2021–22 before more than doubling to 125 in 2022–23. The numbers dipped to 115 in 2023–24 and fell further to 108 in the provisional data for 2024–25.
Ladakh currently has 15 authorised public health facilities equipped to provide such services, as per the 2024–25 data, a modest capacity that mirrors its geographic spread and sparsely populated terrain.
Nationally, medical terminations have shown a consistent upward trend, increasing from 5.34 lakh in 2020–21 to a provisional 8.93 lakh in 2024–25. While Jammu and Kashmir’s absolute numbers remain modest compared to the largest states, its rate of growth has been among the stronger performers in the smaller and medium-sized states and Union Territories. For context, Maharashtra reported over 2.07 lakh terminations in 2024–25, Tamil Nadu just over 1.01 lakh, and Rajasthan more than 53,000. In the northern region, Punjab recorded 21,439 terminations in 2024–25, Delhi 25,333, and Himachal Pradesh 6,595.
The data also highlights Jammu and Kashmir’s public health capacity to provide such services. In 2024–25, Jammu and Kashmir had 109 authorised public health facilities equipped for medical terminations, out of a national total of 12,434. This is roughly 0.9 per cent of the nationwide capacity, reflecting its population size but also underlining that service access remains relatively limited in scale compared to larger states. Ladakh, separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, has 15 such facilities.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel told the Rajya Sabha that the government implements the Comprehensive Abortion Care programme to ensure safe, timely and affordable access to medical termination for all women, including those from economically weaker sections, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other disadvantaged groups. The programme supports training of medical officers in safe abortion techniques, procurement of necessary equipment and drugs, and public information campaigns to raise awareness, particularly in rural areas.
The minister also said that the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act and Rules, 2021, have been disseminated to all states and Union Territories, with officials oriented to the changes. The amendments extended the gestational limit for certain categories of women to 24 weeks and broadened access, reforms which health officials say have contributed to the rising numbers. The government also observes International Safe Abortion Day annually to reduce stigma and improve access.
