'Global war on the unborn': Abortions account for half of global deaths each year

Abortion is not only the leading cause of death globally each year—it surpasses, even by conservative estimates, the combined death tolls of infectious diseases, heart disease, cancer, and traffic accidents. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 68 million total deaths worldwide in 2021. Yet, the same organization estimates that approximately 73 million abortions are performed annually. These figures reveal a staggering and often overlooked reality.

According to the live statistics site Worldometer, 45.1 million abortions were recorded worldwide in 2024, accounting for 42% of deaths that year. That is a greater number than the following leading causes of death on the planet combined, and a number of victims surpassing those caused by World War I in the four years the conflict lasted.

According to their data, which draw from WHO and other official sources, the combined deaths from infectious diseases (12.9 million), cancer (8.2 million), smoking (5 million), and traffic accidents (1.4 million) fall far short of the number of lives lost to abortion.

"Abortion goes hand in hand with the constant brutalization of societies"

These statistics have led pro-life organizations, such as the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, to denounce what they call "a world war against the unborn. No monument can attest to the brutality of abortion nor to the real loss of innocence every day, every minute, every second."

The organization stated that "abortion goes hand in hand with the constant brutalization of societies around the world. Life is increasingly threatened and considered cheap—especially because abortion treats unborn lives as unworthy of life, as a nuisance rather than a blessing."

According to the WHO there are more abortions than deaths each year

An affirmation that the data maintained by the WHO on its website only confirm and amplify. The supranational organization does not even count abortions as deaths, and estimates that around 73 million induced abortions are performed each year. According to its figures, total annual deaths in recent years have been below that number.

According to the WHO, "in 2021, the 10 leading causes of death accounted for 39 million deaths, or 57% of the total 68 million deaths worldwide. These leading causes are largely associated with two major categories: cardiovascular diseases (such as ischemic heart disease and stroke) and respiratory conditions (including COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory tract infections). COVID-19, notably, emerged as the second leading cause of death globally.

Pro-lifers denounce that the figures are manipulated to favor the culture of death

The stark discrepancy between Worldometer and WHO figures is neither coincidental nor a mistake. As pro-life organizations have repeatedly pointed out, the UN and its affiliates are actively promoting abortion worldwide. By inflating the numbers, they create a sense of widespread approval, framing abortion as a basic human right embraced by the majority of the population.

Americans for Life has condemned this situation, citing examples from South American countries where these practices are occurring: "It has been demonstrated that the figures surrounding abortion have been manipulated to justify the pro-abortion agenda in these nations. Both misinformation and data manipulation are being exploited by international organizations like the UN and WHO to accuse countries and exert continuous pressure to adopt anti-life policies."