Under-18 Conception Statistics 1998-2006

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) conception statistics are used to monitor progress towards the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy's target to halve England's under-18 conception rate by 2010, from a 1998 baseline. 

These statistics are part of a well established series, which are compiled by combining information from birth registrations and abortion notifications. You can download the statistics and an accompanying summary above.

What the statistics include

Conception statistics include pregnancies that result in:

• One or more live or still births
  
  
• A legal abortion under the Abortion Act 1967

Miscarriages and illegal abortions are not included.

Conception statistics are available for England and Wales, England, Government Office Regions and local authorities. Statistics include:

• Number of conceptions
  
  
• Rate per thousand females aged 15-17 (or 13-15 for under-16 rates)
  
  
• Percentage of conceptions leading to abortion

Release dates for the statistics

ONS usually release conception statistics around 14 months after the period to which they relate. The reason for this time lag is that to record conceptions the ONS requires information on the births and abortions that occurred as a result. 

As birth registration can be legally undertaken up to six weeks after birth, information may not be available until 11 months after the date of conception. When all birth and abortion data are available, ONS require three months to compile the conception statistics. ONS release annual conception data in February each year, for instance 2006 data will be available in February 2008. 

Click to read more background on the statistics on the Teenage Pregnancy Unit website.

You can access key guidance on teenage pregnancy on this website.