Pollster Ipsos Mori surveyed 1,986 people on the subject for sexual health charity Brook. The results showed that one in six thought more than 40 per cent of girls under 16 get pregnant each year.
In total, 95 per cent of those surveyed overestimated the proportion of annual teenage pregnancies, with most believing it to be between six and 15 per cent. The actual figure of under-16s who get pregnant each year is less than one per cent.
Simon Blake, chief executive at Brook, said: "With barely a week going by without a media story about teenage pregnancy, it's not surprising the public believe it is much more common than it actually is. This is particularly confusing for young people who may well think teenage pregnancy is normal. It also fuels the myth that it is escalating and nothing can be done."
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