HARRISBURG, Pa. — The abortion rate in Pennsylvania has fallen to an all time low according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, but over 32,000 babies still lost their lives in 2013—the latest year with statistics available.

“In 2013, there were 32,108 abortions performed in Pennsylvania. The 2013 figure is a 51.2 percent decrease from the 1980 total of 65,777 (the highest annual number ever recorded),” the report outlines. “The 2013 figure represents a decrease of 2,428 or 7.0 percent from the 34,536 that occurred in 2012. This is the lowest annual number ever recorded.”

It notes that the overwhelmingly majority of abortions were obtained by unwed mothers, including adolescents.

“Over 88 percent or 28,262 of the abortions performed in Pennsylvania in 2013 were to unmarried women,” the document explains. “Patients age 19 and under accounted for 11.6 percent or 3,740 of the 2013 abortions performed in Pennsylvania. Females age 17 and under accounted for 3.5 percent or 1,125 of the 2013 abortions.”

“As in previous years, the largest single age group was 20-24, accounting for 11,099 or 34.6 percent of all 2013 abortions,” the report continues.

But 83 percent of the abortions were performed in four counties in the Commonwealth: Allegheny, Dauphin, Northampton and Philadelphia.

“Of the abortion patients who resided in Pennsylvania, 12,559 or 40.8 percent were residents of Philadelphia,” the Department of Health explains. “Other counties with a large number of resident abortions included Allegheny, 3,374; Montgomery, 1,725; and Delaware, 1,609.”

Over 20,000 of the abortions were a suction curettage procedure, a practice that uses a suction device like a vacuum to forcefully rip the unborn child from the womb—either whole or in pieces. The contents of the uterus are then sucked into a jar, and the abortionist uses a curette to scrape the uterus to ensure that none of the parts of the baby have been left behind.

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation told reporters this week that they believe the number of abortions has decreased as more abortion facilities in the commonwealth have closed and a greater number of pro-life resources are being offered to women.

“Modern technology is making it easier to see the value of life in the womb and the tragedy of abortion,” Michaiah Bilger told LifeNews. “Ultrasounds allow parents to see their baby smiling or sucking his or her thumb, and a new study from the University of Florida showed that preborn babies can learn nursery rhymes in the womb.”

But while abortion rates in Pennsylvania saw their lowest levels ever on record in 2013, as previously reported, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America also recently released its annual national report, showing that the organization performed over 300,000 abortions in 2013, equating to 37 abortions per hour or 1 almost every 90 seconds.

According to the online document, the organization performed 327,653 abortions nationwide during the 2013-2014 fiscal year, up from 327,166 the year prior. The figures also show that there were 1,880 adoption referrals, down 14 percent from 2012, equating to 174 abortions for every adoption referral.

“Our nation will continue to plunge into complete darkness until we restore the sanctity of life and defend and protect our most vulnerable citizens,” Kurt Kondrich, whose daughter Chloe inspired Pennsylvania’s Down Syndrome Prenatal Education Act, told Christian News Network in August.

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