Teenage Pregnancy Rates Rise in Scotland for the First Time in Over a Decade

For the first time in over a decade, Scotland has experienced an increase in teenage pregnancy rates. According to Public Health Scotland (PHS), the rate rose from 23.2 per 1,000 women in 2021 to 27.1 in 2022. This marks a significant change after 14 years of continuous decline, which began in 2007 and saw a reduction of about 60%.

In 2022, a total of 3,756 teenage pregnancies were recorded, representing an increase of 535 cases, with the majority occurring among 17 to 19-year-olds. The rise was observed across all mainland NHS boards.

Although the disparity between the most and least deprived areas has decreased, teenage pregnancy rates remain over three times higher in the most deprived regions. Specifically, the rate in the most deprived areas fell from 66.8 per 1,000 women in 2013 to 45.9 in 2022. In contrast, the rate in the least deprived areas slightly decreased from 13.8 to 13 per 1,000 women.

Additionally, the data revealed increases in both delivery and termination rates between 2021 and 2022, rising from 10.9 to 11.8 per 1,000 women and from 12.3 to 15.3, respectively. Despite the recent increase, Scotland's teenage pregnancy rate remains the lowest since reporting began in 1994.