Abortion is again the world’s leading cause of death

Abortion caused over 44 million deaths in 2022, more than the next five leading worldwide causes of death combined and more than the population of 203 of 235 nations, though other estimates put the yearly total at 73 million children aborted.

Quick Facts

• Worldometer estimates that 44 million children were aborted worldwide, but the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization (WHO) both estimate that there are 73 million induced abortions each year.
• The FDA on Tuesday finalized a rule that will significantly expand the availability of pills used for chemical abortions, allowing them to now be sold in large-chain retail pharmacies, mail-order companies, and online pharmacies.
• CVS and Walgreens have announced that they plan to dispense the abortion pill.
• Pro-lifers continue to warn of the significant health risks to women who take abortion pills.

The 44 million number comes from Worldometer, an international team of developers, researchers, and volunteers who collect annual statistics on an array of topics. Worldometer classifies abortions as a “health” measure rather than a cause of death. The site found that there were a total of over 67 million deaths worldwide, not including abortion, out of a population of more than 8 billion.

The next five leading causes of death combined did not equal the number of abortions. Communicable diseases were the second leading cause of death with almost 13 million deaths, followed by more than 8 million deaths caused by cancer. Around 5 million deaths were attributed to smoking; alcohol-related incidents caused approximately 2.5 million deaths; and AIDS was responsible for killing nearly 2 million people.

The real number of global abortions performed may be much higher, however, as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Guttmacher Institute, both decidedly pro-abortion, believe there to be about 73 million induced abortions each year.

A recent decision by the FDA will sadly add to those killed by abortion, after it changed rules expanding the types of establishments that can provide abortion pills. Yesterday, the FDA finalized a rule change which allows retail pharmacies, online pharmacies, and mail-order companies to supply mifepristone, one of the pills used in chemical abortions. In addition, women will no longer be required to speak to a medical provider in-person before purchasing the pills, but instead can obtain a prescription via a telehealth consultation.

Previously, only certified doctors were allowed to prescribe mifespristone and the FDA required that it be administered in person; during the COVID pandemic, the FDA suspended that rule.

On Wednesday, national retailers CVS and Walgreens announced that they will dispense the abortion pill in states where it is legal.

Pro-lifers warn that not only will allowing women to buy mifepristone cause the death of their baby, but it poses risks to women that pro-abortion advocates don’t disclose to them. The Charlotte Lozier Institute has released a document warning of the risks, some of which include:

• Chemical abortion has a complication rate four times that of surgical abortion, and as many as one out of five women will suffer a complication.
• As many as 15 percent of women will experience hemorrhage, and 2 percent will have an infection. The risk of incomplete abortion and infection increases with increasing gestational age.
• Chemical abortion drugs are more likely to send women to the emergency room, as the rate of chemical abortion-related emergency room visits increased over 500 percent between 2002-2015.
• With no medical oversight, abortion pills can fall into the hands of traffickers and abusive partners. Already, there are accounts of women being given abortion pills without their knowledge and against their will.
• A key analysis of abortion pill-related adverse events submitted to the FDA shows significant underreporting. Planned Parenthood independently reported over twice as many adverse events as the FDA in 2009-2010, despite the fact that the FDA’s data is supposed to reflect complications from all abortion providers. As of 2016, the FDA no longer requires abortion providers to report any complications other than death.
• Even with the data known to be incomplete, there is enough data to show multiple deaths and thousands of serious complications resulting from chemical abortion. The FDA’s own data shows that chemical abortion has resulted in at least 26 deaths and thousands of adverse events since the drug was first approved.

Despite these shocking developments, pro-lifers say that there is reason to be optimistic and thankful.

Estimates show that over 100,000 babies have been saved in the U.S. since the overturn of Roe v. Wade last June. Analysis from the Society of Family Planning showed that abortion dropped by about 100 percent in some states from April to August of last year. Nationwide, abortion decreased by 6 percent. Meanwhile, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America estimates that approximately 175,000 abortions have been prevented by pro-life laws.

One of the primary sins Israel committed in the Old Testament was that of child sacrifice. Psalm 106:37-38 tells of Israel’s rebellion:

“They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with the blood.”

1 Kings 17:17-18 detailed another time when the innocent were horrifically sacrificed and described how God responded:

“And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.”

Little could possibly be more twisted than taking the child that God so graciously granted and sacrificing him or her to a false god. Many of these gods were worshipped in order to gain some form of personal benefit, so parents sacrificed their children to demons.

Today, child sacrifice bears a different face: abortion. Rather than sacrificing to Baal or Molech, most abortions today are sacrifices to selfish desires or anxieties. While the names may have changed, the demonic nature of this act has not. There is little difference between throwing your child into the fire so a god will grant you a good growing season and chemically burning or dismembering your child to avoid an expense or to enable a carefree life.

God hated the killing of children 2,700 years ago and He hates it now; a world that kills so many of its children is angering the Lord. May we pray for His mercy on our land, a renewal of wicked hearts, and a worldwide recognition that babies in the womb are precious and deserve to live.

Ready to dive deeper into the intersection of faith and policy? Head over to our Theology of Politics series page where we’ve published several long-form pieces that will help Christians navigate where their faith should direct them on political issues.