• Do Liberal Abortion Policies Always Lead to a Reduction in Abortion Rates?
  • Fateme Modiri,1,*
    1. Associate Professor, Department of Family Studies, National Institute for Population Research, Tehran. Iran.


  • Introduction: Abortion remains one of the most complex social, legal, and ethical issues in contemporary societies. A country’s approach to abortion often reflects its cultural, religious, and political values. According to the World Health Organization, the main reasons for induced abortions include preserving the mother’s life, maintaining her health, cases of rape or incest, fetal abnormalities, socio-economic factors, other reasons, and upon the woman’s request. Governments worldwide generally aim to reduce abortion rates, particularly induced abortions. However, some countries adopt liberal policies while others implement restrictive measures to achieve this goal. A 2016 United Nations report found that the rate of unsafe abortions in countries with restrictive laws is four times higher than in countries with more liberal policies. This study uses a comparative approach to explore whether liberal abortion policies always lead to lower abortion rates.
  • Methods: Sixteen countries were selected based on their abortion trends and total fertility rates. Nine countries, Switzerland, Singapore, Russia, Denmark, Japan, Albania, Haiti, South Korea, and Tajikistan were classified as successful due to their declining abortion rates. Seven countries, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Mozambique were considered less successful because of rising abortion rates
  • Results: The results indicate that countries with more success in reducing abortion rates generally have more liberal abortion policies. However, the presence of liberal policies in countries experiencing increasing abortion rates suggests that abortion policies do not necessarily correlate with a reduction in abortion rates. All countries, whether successful or unsuccessful in reducing abortion rates, have certain requirements that primarily focus on licensing healthcare providers and treatment facilities. In countries that have been successful in lowering abortion rates, where policies tend to be more liberal, a waiting period of several days is typically implemented, allowing individuals the option to reconsider and potentially reverse their decision. In all the studied countries, violations of abortion laws are subject to penalties. These penalties usually apply to the individual, healthcare providers, and anyone who assists in the procedure, and often include imprisonment and fines. Moreover, abortion policies in successful countries tend to be more comprehensive compared to those in other countries.
  • Conclusion: Abortion policies in various countries, shaped by their unique cultural and religious contexts, are generally aimed at reducing unintended pregnancies. These policies can be classified into several key categories: Financial and emotional support, Education and awareness, Identifying high-risk groups, Implementing alternative strategies, Legal penalties, Access to effective contraception. Therefore, attention to these strategies is essential for achieving a reduction in abortion rates. Key stakeholders in implementing these policies include international organizations, policymakers, religious institutions, researchers, healthcare professionals, legal experts, the media, NGOs, and the general public—each of whom can play a meaningful role in reducing the incidence of abortion.
  • Keywords: Induced abortion, abortion policies, comparative study, selected countries