[Photo/VCG]

The number of abortions in China has decreased in the past five years, but the high proportion of young adults and teenagers undergoing the procedure remains a vexing issue. 

About 9 million abortions take place annually in China, down from 13 million in 2013, according to data released by the National Health Commission on Tuesday, ahead of World Contraception Day on Sept 25. 

"The group of women younger than 24 years old contributes to 28.5 percent of abortions," said Babatunde Ahonsi, resident representative of United Nations Population Fund in China.

The percentage shows no sign of improvement compared with statistics released in 2013 by the commission's Research Institute. 

"The number of abortions is especially high among teenagers, and that's largely because of a lack of consciousness and improper contraception," said Wang Pei'an, deputy director of the China Family Planning Association. 

He said more women are facing unplanned pregnancy at a younger age and resorting to abortions, adding that "repetitive abortions, which account for half the total, are now leading to a rising infertility rate". 

He called for concerted efforts across different sectors of society to promote effective contraception methods. 

This year, World Contraception Day is focusing on improving awareness of effective and efficient contraception methods.