PIP: For the past 20 years, a decline in fertility has been achieved by stregthened national family planning programs and an increased number of induced abortions. There is no doubt that abortion has been a major contributing factor in the decline of fertility. Although abortion was widely practiced as a means of fertility control from 1960-80, abortions have decreased since 1981 among married women aged 20-44 years. Experienced abortion of national prevalence rate was 7% in 1967, 14% in 1966, 39% in 1976, 49% in 1978, and 50% in 1981. Aborted women's rate was much higher in urban areas than rural areas: the rates were 57% in urban and 38% in rural in 1978; 52% in urban areas and 44% in rural in 1981. The highest aborted women's rate was between the ages of 35-39. During 1971-78, it showed an upward moving trend: 38% in 1971, 43% in 1973, 50% in 1976, and 62% in 1978. However, the highest rate was shifted to the age group of 40-44, and the rate was 66%. Abortion rate per 100 woman years was 10.2% in 1981 and 7.2% in 1983. Age specific rates of aborted women reached a peak in the 25-29 age group: 14.2% in 1981 and 11.1% in 1983. The total marital abortion rate had sharply increased from 0.7 in 1963 to 1.2 in 1968 and 2.9 in 1978. However, it dropped from 2.7 in 1981 to 1.8 in 1983. Age specific abortion rate reached a peak in the 25-29 age group during 1981-1983, 158 in 1981, and 122 in 1983.