We fight for abortion rights around the world.

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Around the world, abortion rights are not fair and they’re not equal. Abortion is a safe and simple procedure. But many women are denied access to safe abortion, due to legal restrictions and other barriers, forcing them to take abortion into their own hands and risk their health or life in the process.

Global estimates suggest that 45% of all induced abortions are unsafe, performed using dangerous methods and by untrained people – because women have been denied access to accurate information and safe care. MSI Reproductive Choices is a global charity providing and advocating for reproductive choice, and abortion rights are central to that mission. We won’t stop fighting until abortion rights and access to abortion care is guaranteed for everyone, no matter where they are.

Is abortion a human right?

Yes, abortion is a human right. It shouldn’t matter where you live, how you identify or how old you are. Abortion and human rights go hand-in-hand and everyone who needs abortion care should have access to safe abortions. That’s why we fight to ensure a future where everyone has abortion rights, no matter their circumstances.

What are the benefits of abortion access?

For women around the world, there are many benefits of having access to safe abortion care. Access to safe abortion allows women and girls to make decisions about their bodies and futures. With the power to decide if or when to continue a pregnancy, girls are able to stay in school, and women can pursue their careers – or whatever path they would like to take.

When women are denied access to safe abortion care, it can be dangerous and even deadly. Many women are forced to take their health into their own hands and seek unsafe abortion methods, which can seriously impact their physical and emotional wellbeing. The World Health Organisation estimates that every day, 107 women around the world will die from an unsafe abortion, because they were denied access to abortion rights and safe care.

Abortion rights around the world

Abortion rights around the world are not equal, but at MSI, we believe they should be. Everyone deserves the right to make decisions about their own bodies and their futures, and globally, we advocate for that right, and deliver safe abortion care. In the following sections we’ll look at current abortion rights by continent as of December 2024, including the abortion care offered in specific countries around the world.

Abortion rights in Europe

Abortion rights in Europe are some of the most liberal in the world – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still barriers. Currently, almost all European countries allow legal access to abortion. Many countries also offer fully-funded abortions for women who request them through local healthcare services.

Abortion rights across Europe differ depending on which country you’re in. Some countries allow abortions on request, while for others, a woman must be ‘in distress’. Each European country has differing time limits on abortion, meaning the number of weeks into her pregnancy that a woman can access an abortion. These limits are usually somewhere between 18-24 weeks, unless the woman’s health is at risk.

Countries with the least legal restrictions:

• Albania
• Armenia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• the Republic of Moldova
• Montenegro
• Netherlands
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russian Federation
• San Marino
• Serbia
• the Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• the UK
• Ukraine.

Andorra and Malta do not permit abortions during pregnancy at all.

Lichtenstein, Poland and Monaco only allow abortion when the woman’s health is at risk or the pregnancy is the result of sexual violence.

Abortion rights in the UK (England, Scotland and Wales)

Abortion rights in England, Scotland, and Wales are controlled by the Abortion Act 1967. This enables you to have an abortion up to 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. It’s free on the NHS, but it must be authorised by two doctors (abortion providers arrange this for the person accessing care) and performed by an NHS hospital, licensed clinic, or, for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, in your home or usual place of residence.

Whilst abortion rights in England, Scotland, and Wales are fairly liberal, there has been a significant rise in anti-rights activities in recent years, with anti-choice groups lobbying Parliamentarians to limit access to abortion, as well as a rise in women facing criminal investigation for ending their own pregnancies. In the UK, MSI and partners are calling for abortion to be decriminalised, so that no woman will face prison for accessing an abortion.

Abortion Rights in Northern Ireland

Until recently, abortion rights in Northern Ireland did not match that of the rest of the UK. The law was highly restrictive, with abortion only permitted if the woman’s life was at risk, or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health. Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019, and in 2020, the framework for provision came into force. There is now NHS abortion care available in most regions of Northern Ireland, although there are still some issues with access.

Currently, abortion in Northern Ireland is legally permitted in the first 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy (and in limited circumstances beyond then, for example, if the pregnant woman’s life is at risk). Access is unconditional before 12 weeks of pregnancy and abortion has been decriminalised.

Abortion rights in Ireland

Abortion rights in Ireland are different from Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, women can only have an abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and they must get certification from a doctor before the abortion can be performed. After 12 weeks, abortions are only permitted in ‘exceptional circumstances’.

Abortion Rights in Countries in Africa

Abortion rights in Africa are varied, with some African countries allowing full access to abortion services whilst others have outright bans and extremely restrictive abortion laws. Even in countries that do allow abortion, awareness of where to access safe services can remain low, which puts women’s lives and futures at risk.

Worryingly, anti-rights movements have sprung up in many countries across Africa over recent years, often linked with US anti-choice groups, meaning in some African nations, hard-won abortion rights are at risk.

Currently, African counties where abortion is legally prohibited in virtually all circumstances:

• Congo-Brazzaville
• Egypt
• Gabon
• Madagascar
• Mauritania
• Senegal

African countries that permit abortion in certain cases, for example, if the woman’s life is at risk, and / or in cases of foetal abnormality or rape include:

• Angola
• Algeria
• Botswana
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• the Central African Republic
• Chad
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Djibouti
• Eritrea
• Gambia
• Guinea
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Malawi
• Mali
• Morocco
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Uganda

African countries that permit access to abortion in additional circumstances such as for mental and physical health reasons include:

• Burkina Faso
• Chad
• Ethiopia
• Equatorial Guinea
• Ghana
• Guinea Bissau
• Kenya
• Mauritius
• Namibia
• São Tomé and Principe
• Seychelles
• Zimbabwe

African countries that allow abortions on request with few restrictions include:

• Benin
• Cape Verde
• Mozambique
• Rwanda
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Tunisia

Abortion Rights in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, a law was passed in 2005 that provided a broad range of exceptions to the criminal code regarding abortion, which made abortion broadly legally accessible. Soon after, the Ethiopian government supported the health system to provide comprehensive abortion care. As a result, abortion is now widely accessible to women in Ethiopia and since the law was changed, the mortality rate due to unsafe abortions has dropped from 31% to 1%. Currently, abortion rights in Ethiopia allow women to have a legal abortion on broad socio-economic grounds, as well as in cases of rape, incest, foetal impairment, and on additional grounds.

Unfortunately, anti-rights movements are currently extremely active in Ethiopia. Emboldened by the removal of the right to abortion in the United States, following the overturning of Roe Vs Wade by the US Supreme Court, anti-choice groups are taking to national media, calling on lawmakers to follow the United States’ lead and restrict abortion access.

Abortion rights in India

Abortion rights in India are improving. In 2022, India’s Supreme Court ruled that all women, whether married or unmarried, should have the right to a safe, legal abortion. Whilst abortion in India has been legal in certain circumstances since the 1970s, the existing law only applied to married women. This meant thousands of unmarried women, girls, trans and non-binary people were excluded, with many forced to seek unsafe abortion methods.

Currently, abortion rights in India allow women to have an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy with the endorsement of a doctor. Abortions after 28 weeks are permitted in cases of foetal abnormality or danger to the mother’s life.

Abortion rights in America

In 1973 the Roe vs. Wade decision enshrined abortion as a constitutional right for all Americans. In 2022 – almost 50 years later – this constitutional protection was overturned by the US Supreme Court in the Dobbs decision, effectively denying abortion services to millions of women across the United States who no longer have the right to choose a safe, legal service in their home state. Many are forced to travel long distances to access safe care, and some have no choice but to opt for unsafe or legally restricted abortion methods. 

Currently in America, abortion is banned in 15 states:  

• Alabama 
• Arkansas 
• Florida 
• Idaho 
• Indiana 
• Iowa 
• Kentucky 
• Louisiana 
• Mississippi 
• Oklahoma 
• South Carolina 
• South Dakota 
• Tennessee 
• Texas 
• West Virginia 

Abortion rights in America are highly restricted in: 

• Arizona 
• Georgia 
• Kansas 
• Missouri 
• Nebraska 
• North Carolina 
• North Dakota 
• Pennsylvania 
• Utah 
• Virginia 
• Wisconsin 
• Wyoming 

Abortion rights are somewhat restricted in the following states: 

• Nevada 
• New Hampshire 
• Ohio 
• Rhode Island 

The US states with some protections for abortion rights are: 

• Alaska 
• California 
• Colorado 
• Connecticut  
• Delaware 
• Hawaii 
• Illinois 
• Maine 
• Massachusetts  
• Michigan 
• Minnesota  
• Montana 
• New Jersey 
• New Mexico 
• New York 
• Washington 

The US states with the most abortion rights and protections for women are:  

• Maryland 
• Oregon 
• Vermont 

Abortions in these states are generally permitted up to 24-26 weeks, with some states having no restrictions based on gestational duration. 

Is abortion a constitutional right?

The 2022 Dobbs decision removed the constitutional right to abortion in the US and abortion rights are no longer a freedom to which all women are entitled across the county. At MSI, we believe abortion should be a constitutional right for everyone, everywhere.  

Help us make abortion accessible for all

Support our work to make abortion rights fairer, safer and more equal worldwide.

You can help us create a future where all women and girls, no matter where they are, have the same abortion rights and freedoms – so everyone can make decisions about their bodies and their futures.