For a printable version of this fact sheet, click here > >
For a printable version of this fact sheet in Spanish, click here > >
For a printable version of this poster, click here > >
Buy our full-color poster online > >

Currently, over 60% of the world's people live in countries where induced abortion is permitted either for a wide range of reasons or without restriction as to reason. In contrast, about 26% of all people reside in countries where abortion is generally prohibited.

The table below illustrates the varying degrees to which countries worldwide permit access to abortion. Countries in Category I have the most restrictive laws. Those in each subsequent category recognize the grounds specified in the preceding category as well as additional grounds. Depending on such factors as public opinion, the views of government officials and providers, and individual circumstances, laws in each category may be interpreted more broadly or restrictively than indicated by their classifications below.

Permitted to Save a Woman's Life or Prohibited Altogether
The most restrictive laws are those that either permit abortion only to save a woman's life or ban the procedure entirely. Many countries in this category (appearing in bold on p.2) explicitly permit abortion when a pregnancy threatens a woman's life. In other countries, laws that make no explicit exception are often interpreted to permit abortion under life-threatening circumstances on the grounds of "necessity." Such an exception may also be recognized in national norms of medical ethics.

Physical Health Grounds
Laws that authorize abortion to protect the pregnant woman's life and physical health form Category II. These laws sometimes require that the threatened injury to health be either serious or permanent. While laws in this category do not explicitly permit abortion to protect mental health, many are phrased broadly enough – referring simply to "health" or "therapeutic" indications – to be interpreted to allow abortion on mental health grounds.

Mental Health Grounds
Laws in Category III expressly permit abortion to protect the woman's mental health, as well as her life and physical health. The interpretation of "mental health" varies around the world. It can encompass, for example, psychological distress suffered by a woman who is raped or severe strain caused by social or economic circumstances.

Socioeconomic Grounds
Laws in Category IV, which allow abortion on socioeconomic grounds, explicitly permit consideration of such factors as a woman's economic resources, her age, her marital status, and the number of her children. Such laws are generally interpreted liberally.

Without Restriction as to Reason
Finally, the least restrictive abortion laws are those that allow abortion without restriction as to reason. Most countries with such laws, however, impose a limit on the period during which women can readily access the procedure.

A number of countries explicitly recognize three other grounds for abortion: when pregnancy results from rape; when pregnancy results from incest; and when there is a high probability of fetal impairment. Countries that recognize these grounds may fall within any of the categories described above. In addition, countries in any category may restrict access to abortion by requiring a woman to obtain parental or spousal authorization. These additional grounds and restrictions are identified according to the notes set forth below.

I. Permitted to Save a Woman's Life or Prohibited Altogether (countries printed in bold make an explicit exception to save a woman's life.)

Afghanistan Andorra Angola Antigua & Barbuda Bangladesh Bhutan–R/I/+ Brazil–R Brunei Darussalam Central African Rep. Chile–x Congo (Brazzaville) Côte d'Ivoire Dem. Rep. of Congo Dominica Dominican Republic Egypt El Salvador–x Gabon Guatemala Guinea–Bissau Haiti Honduras Indonesia Iran

Iraq Ireland Kenya Kiribati Laos Lebanon Lesotho Libya–PA Madagascar Malawi–SA Mali-R/I Malta Marshall Islands–U Mauritania Mauritius Mexico–◊R/F Micronesia–U Monaco Myanmar Nicaragua–x Niger Nigeria Oman Palau-U

Panama–PA/R/F Papua New Guinea Paraguay Philippines San Marino Sao Tome & Principe Senegal Soloman Islands Somalia Sri Lanka Sudan–R Suriname Syria–SA/PA Tanzania Tonga Tuvalu Uganda United Arab Emirates–SA/PA Venezuela West Ban & Gaza Strip Yemen

69 Countries, 25.9% of World's Population

II. To Preserve Physical Health
(also to save the woman's life)

Argentina–R1 Bahamas Benin–R/I/F Bolivia–R/I Burkina Faso–R/I/F Burundi Cameroon–R Chad–F Comoros Costa Rica Djibouti Ecuador–R1

Equatorial Guinea–SA/PA Eritrea–R/I Ethiopia–R/I/F/+ Grenada Guinea–R/I/F Jordan Kuwait–SA/PA/F Liechtenstein– + Maldives–SA Morocco–SA Mozambique

Pakistan Peru Poland–PA/R/I/F Qatar–F Rep. of Korea –SA/R/I/F Rwanda Saudi Arabia–SA/PA Togo–R/I/F Uruguay–R Vanuatu Zimbabwe–R/I/F

34 Countries, 9.4% of World's Population

III. To Preserve Mental Health
(also to save the woman's life and physical health)

Algeria Botswana–R/I/F Colombia–R/I/F Gambia Ghana–R/I/F Hong Kong–R/I/F Israel–R/I/F/+ Jamaica–PA

Liberia–R/I/F Malaysia Namibia–R/I/F Nauru New Zealand–I/F Northern Ireland Saint Kitts & Nevis Saint Lucia–R/I

Samoa Seychelles–R/I/F Sierra Leone Spain–R/F Swaziland–R/I/F Thailand–R/F Trinidad & Tobago

23 Countries, 4.2% of World's Population

IV. Socioeconomic Grounds
(also to save the woman's life, physical health and mental health)

Australia–◊ Barbados–PA/R/I/F Belize–F Cyprus–R/F Fiji

Finland–R/F/+ Great Britain–F Iceland–R/I/F/+ India–PA/R/F Japan–SA

Luxembourg–PA/R/F Saint Vincent & Grenadines–R/I/F Taiwan–SA/PA/I/F Zambia–F

14 Countries, 21.3% of World's Population

V. Without Restriction as to Reason

Albania Armenia Austria* Azerbaijan Bahrain Belarus Belgium* Bosnia- Herzegovina–PA Bulgaria Cambodia* Canada° Cape Verde China°–S Croatia–PA Cuba–PA Czech Rep.–PA Dem. People's Rep. of Korea° Denmark–PA

Estonia France* Fmr. Yugoslav Rep. Macedonia–PA Georgia Germany* Greece–PA Guyana† Hungary Italy–Δ/PA Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lithuania Moldova Mongolia Montenegro–PA Nepal–S Netherlandsv Norway–PA

Portugal–‡PA Puerto Ricov Romania* Russian Fed. Serbia–PA Singapore*** Slovak Rep.–PA Slovenia–PA South Africa Sweden** Switzerland Tajikistan Tunisia Turkey–‡SA/PA Turkmenistan Ukraine United States–v◊PA Uzbekistan Vietnam°

56 Countries, 39.3% of World's Population