An investigation has uncovered that a record number of female foetuses are being terminated by Indian parents living in Britain due to a cultural preference for sons. The practice, which is illegal in the UK, appears to be happening on an unprecedented scale, according to newly analysed data.
Stark Data Reveals a Disturbing Trend
Figures produced for the investigation by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show a significant distortion in birth ratios among Indian mothers between 2021 and 2025. The data indicates that around 118 boys were born for every 100 girls within this community during that period.
This figure is far higher than the national average across all ethnicities, which stands at approximately 105 boys for every 100 girls. The Government's accepted upper limit for a natural birth ratio is 107 males to 100 females. Statisticians state that any ratio exceeding this 107:100 threshold strongly suggests the use of sex-selective practices, including abortion or IVF.
Pressure, Preference and the 'Prince Syndrome'
Experts believe the skewed numbers are clear evidence of 'sex-selective' abortions, sparking serious concerns that women are being coerced by their families. Rani Bilkhu, founder of the domestic abuse charity Jeena International, commented on the findings.
"The data shows how boys are being favoured more than girls," she said. "Community pressures – be it husbands or families – are leading women to abort girls. Some women are also led to abort girls because they have been brought up to believe boys are better."
Ms Bilkhu added that boys in the community often have a "prince syndrome," being perceived as superior because they carry the family name. She emphasised that the issue is fundamentally one of gender equality, not just abortion.
Third Children Most at Risk
The ONS data reveals a telling pattern when family size is considered. Birth ratios for Indian women's first and second children align with the national average. However, a dramatic imbalance appears with third children.
In the 2023/24 financial year, the birth ratio for the third child born to Indian parents soared to 118 boys per 100 girls, maintaining that level the following year. Experts infer that Indian mothers who already have two daughters are aborting a third female child in pursuit of a son.
This current imbalance is even higher than a previous Department of Health analysis covering 2017 to 2021, which found a ratio of 113:100 for third children. That earlier analysis estimated the rate likely equated to around 400 terminations of baby girls in that four-year span.
Legal Grey Areas and Political Response
Government guidance issued to all doctors in 2014 is unequivocal: "Abortion on the grounds of gender alone is illegal." A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care reiterated this position, stating sex-selective abortion "will not be tolerated" and is a criminal offence.
However, confusion arose last month when the UK's largest abortion charity, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), suggested on its website that the law was "silent on the matter." This prompted a national outcry and renewed scrutiny.
In response to these concerns, Conservative peer Baroness Eaton is seeking to amend the Crime and Policing Bill to explicitly outlaw sex-selective abortion, fearing that proposals to decriminalise abortion more broadly could open the door to more such terminations.
A spokesman for the Right to Life charity stated the new data is "deeply concerning" and likely "the tip of the iceberg." They warned that the figures probably underestimate the true scale, as distortions may not show up statistically in smaller community birth numbers.
The practice of aborting female foetuses remains endemic in India, where a 2018 government report estimated 63 million women were "missing" from the population due to terminations. The ONS data showed no similar gender imbalances among Bangladeshi and Pakistani mothers in the UK.
