New data published by China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission indicates that there are more than 13 million abortions conducted in the country every year, highlighting the huge reliance on the procedure as it seeks to restrain population growth.

The rate of abortions, at roughly 1 in 100 people, is well above global averages. The U.S., by comparison, reported just 780,000 abortions in 2009, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a rate of 1 in 500 people.

The Chinese statistics, published last week, only account for surgical procedures conducted at licensed hospitals and clinics, and don’t take account medically induced abortions or procedures conducted at the unlicensed clinics seen in poorer parts of the country.

The data appears to show that it is predominantly younger people who are choosing to have abortions. And while China’s restrictive one-child policy is certainly one factor influencing…