We present the results of the 2016 Brazilian National Abortion Survey (2016 PNA) and compare them to those obtained in the 2010 PNA regarding the profile of women and the magnitude of abortion. The PNA is based on a random sample that combines ballot-box questionnaires with face-to-face interviews with women aged 18 to 39 in urban areas of Brazil. The results indicate that abortion is a common and persistent occurrence among women of all social classes, racial groups, educational levels, and religions: in 2016, almost 1 in every 5 women had undergone at least one abortion by the age of 40. In 2015, approximately 416,000 women had an abortion. There is, however, heterogeneity within social groups, with a higher frequency of abortions among women of lower educational levels, black, brown and indigenous, and women living in the North, Northeastern, and Mid-western regions of the country. In line with the 2010 PNA, half of the women used medication to abort and almost half of them needed to be hospitalized to complete the abortion.
