133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
31 March 2025
Jenny Chapman
By email:
[FYI request #30285 email]
Ref:
H2025062629
Tēnā koe Jenny
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) received by the
Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) as a transfer from Health New Zealand – Te
Whatu Ora on 4 March 2025 for information regarding abortions in Rotorua in 2024.
Please note that data from 2024 is provisional and is pending final review and publication of the
data. In response to your OIA request, this data reported includes abortions provided by
services located within Rotorua. Abortions accessed through the national telehealth service are
not included within these figures.
Each part of your request is addressed in turn:
Please provide the following statistics for abortions in Rotorua in the calendar year of
2024;
1) number of surgical abortions
During the 2024 calendar year, 406 surgical abortions were provided in Rotorua.
2) number of medical abortions ( abortion pill)
The Ministry is interpreting this part of your request as referring to early medical abortions. In
2024, 170 early medical abortions were provided in Rotorua.
3) number of abortions up to 12 weeks gestation
4) number of abortions from 13 to 16 weeks gestation
5) number of abortions from 16 to 20 weeks gestation
6) number of abortions after 20 weeks gestation
In 2024, 545 abortions were performed at fewer than 13 weeks’ gestation, 31 were performed
between 13- and 16-weeks’ gestation, and 6 were performed at greater than 16 weeks’
gestation.
Please note that due to low numbers of abortions occurring at above 16 weeks’ gestation, the
number of abortions at greater than 16 weeks’ gestation are included as one category to protect
the privacy of natural persons. A further breakdown of this data is withheld in full under section
9(2)(a) of the Act to protect the privacy of natural persons. I have considered the countervailing
public interest in release in making this decision and consider that it does not outweigh the need
to withhold at this time.
7) number of Maori women who had an abortion
308 procedures were accessed by Māori in Rotorua in 2024.
8) number of complications resulting from abortion”
No complications following an abortion were reported in Rotorua in 2024.
I trust this information fulfils your request. If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with
us, including this decision, please feel free to contact the OIA Services Team on:
[email address]. Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Ruihua Gu
Group Manager, Quality Assurance and Safety Regulation and Monitoring | Te Pou Whakamaru
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