What are the countries with the highest abortion rates in the world? Even in a world which has made so much progress, abortion still remains an extremely sensitive topic to mention, let alone discuss, unlike other topics such as obesity, which was covered in 7 countries with the highest obesity rates. People have widely varying views on the subject, with some advocating for abortion while others are passionately against it. It is a topic which has caused much divide, and in fact, is considered so taboo that most countries in the world, whether due to culture or religion, have banned it outright.
The main argument against abortion is that people consider it equal to murdering a child. On the other hand, people advocating for abortion state that a fetus is not yet a child, and not aborting it in case of an unwanted pregnancy can ruin a person’s life.
Due to many countries outright banning abortion and the stigma associated with it, authentic statistics regarding abortion rates are hard to come by. This is especially true for several developing countries such as India, where, while the reported abortion rate is just above 3%, the truth seems to be far different. While abortion is legal in the country in some cases, it is generally frowned upon in society, leading to women often not reporting the abortion to avoid the shame associated with the act. Furthermore, selective sex abortion is practiced in some parts of the country (boys are preferred over girls), which is illegal. This has led to an at birth ratio of 927 girls to every 1000 boys in India, and could be a major part of the total abortions, yet goes unreported since it is illegal and could result in a fine or even imprisonment.
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When we went through abortion rates across the world we noticed an increase in abortions rates during economically difficult periods. Abortions are typically high in a country with an unstable economy as evidenced by the fact that the highest abortion rates in Russia occurred right around the fall of communism and the economic downturn caused by the country defaulting on its debt. On the other hand, as the economies improve, people are more likely to consider keeping their babies.
Abortion is perfectly legal in some countries. These are also among the countries with the highest abortion rates in the world. We have used Fellowship of the Minds and Johnstons Archives in order to determine which countries have the highest abortion rates in the world by figuring out the percentage of total known pregnancies being aborted. Since abortion rates are hard to pin down and every source we have is basically an estimate for the abortion rates in each country, we calculated the average abortion rate by each country. This approach usually yields more accurate estimates. Based on our calculations here are the 11 countries with the highest abortion rates in the world:
11. China
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 27.85%
Due to the fact that China also legally allows abortion, it has a high rate of abortions, with millions of abortions carried out everywhere. Furthermore, it has also been used as a method to ensure China’s ‘One child’ policy which in turn has led to an increase in abortions.
10. Bulgaria
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 30.75%
In Bulgaria, it is legal for a person to terminate a pregnancy within 12 weeks; this has been legal for 25 years. That is the main reason for the high abortion rate in the country. While the 12 week law was initially introduced in 1956, it was repealed by a later government, until 1990.
9. Hungary
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 30.85%
Considered to be one of the most liberal countries in the world with regards to abortion, Hungary’s laws have been pro-abortion since over 1950.
8. Martinique
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 31.2%
A small island in the Caribbean, Martinique boasts a surprisingly high abortion rate considering the fact that nearly 90% of the population identifies as Roman Catholics.
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7. Estonia
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 32.65%
Abortion has been legally allowed in Estonia for half a century. Aborting a pregnancy before 11 weeks is allowed for any reason whatsoever, while there are only specific conditions allowing the termination of pregnancies up till the 21st week.
6. Romania
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 34.5%
The main reason behind Romania’s high rate of abortion is the fact that it is legal to abort a pregnancy up to 14 weeks for any reason. From 1967-1990, the abortion laws were very strict in order to boost the fertility rate, but have relaxed since then.
5. Nagorno-Karabakh
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 38.1%
Considered to be part of Azerbaijan by the United Nations, Nagorno-Karabakh identifies itself as an independent republic. Despite the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh has a mainly Christian population, it legally allows abortion as well, resulting in a surprisingly high number of abortions.
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4. Cuba
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 38.25%
One of the only countries in Latin America to allow abortion despite the fact that the majority of the population is Catholic, Cuba has allowed abortion since 1968, which in turn has led to a high proportion of abortions.
3. Guadeloupe
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 41.05%
Guadeloupe is a Caribbean territory which is administered by France. Due to its legalization and mainstream acceptance of Guadeloupe, it has one of the highest rates of abortion in the world.
2. Russia
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 42.3%
While Russia became the first country in the world in 1920 to legalize all forms of abortions, the laws have been amended since which means that pregnancies can only be terminated if they are under 12 weeks. There were over a million abortions in Russia in 2009.
1. Greenland
Percentage of pregnancies aborted: 50.45%
Despite the fact that Greenland provides free contraceptives for its women, many women do not use it. This has led to an exceptionally high abortion rate, with abortions outnumbering actual births. This has led Greenland to top the 11 countries with highest abortion rate.
