More human beings died in abortions than any other cause of death in 2018. A heartbreaking reminder about the prevalence of abortion. Statistics compiled by Worldometers indicate that there were nearly 42 million abortions world-wide in 2018. A study contrasted the abortion numbers to other causes of death.

Here’s a breakdown of the causes of deaths world-wide for 2018:

Abortion—41.9 million

Cancer—8.2 million

Smoking—5 million

HIV/AIDS—1.7 million

Globally, just under a quarter of all pregnancies (23 percent) were ended by abortion in 2018, and for every 33 live births, ten infants were aborted. The abortion number is incomprehensible, but each of those 42 million abortions represents a living human being whose life was violently destroyed in their mother’s womb. Each unborn baby already had their own unique DNA, making them distinct from their mother. Their DNA indicated if the child was a boy or girl, their eye and hair color…and much more. In most cases, the unborn babies’ hearts are beating when they are aborted, too.

In America, just under 1 million babies are aborted every year. Though abortion rates have been dropping in the past decade, abortion remains the leading cause of death in the United States as well. An estimated 60 million unborn babies have been killed in abortions in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade in 1973.