A median of 66% of adults support legal abortion in all or most cases, while 30% believe it should be illegal in most situations, according to a recent survey from the Pew Research Center, which covered 27 regions.
ABORTION VIEWS IN THE UNITED STATES
In the United States, the landscape of abortion rights changed dramatically in 2022 when the Supreme Court revoked the constitutional right to abortion. Despite this, 63% of U.S. adults still believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a statistic that has remained stable over recent years.
EUROPEAN CONSENSUS ON LEGAL ABORTION
Europe shows strong support for legal abortion, with at least 75% of adults in nearly every surveyed country in favour. In Sweden, support is particularly high at 95%, with 66% saying it should be legal in all circumstances. Conversely, Poland presents a more divided view; while 56% support legal abortion, 36% oppose it.
DIVERSE OPINIONS IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
The Asia-Pacific region displays mixed attitudes. Majorities in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan favour legal abortion. However, Vietnam and Indonesia lean heavily towards restrictive views, with 59% and 82% respectively believing abortion should be illegal.
MIDDLE EASTERN AND AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES
In Israel, opinions are split with 51% supporting legal abortion and 42% opposing it. In African countries like Kenya and Nigeria, the consensus is more conservative, with 88% and 91% respectively saying abortion should be illegal in most cases.
SOUTH AMERICAN DIVIDES
South America also exhibits varied opinions. While Argentina and Mexico show divided views, Brazil stands out with 70% of adults believing abortion should be illegal in most cases.
LEGAL RESTRICTIONS AND PUBLIC OPINION
Regions with restrictive abortion laws, such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Nigeria, generally have lower public support for legal abortion. In contrast, countries with more permissive regulations often see higher support for legal abortion.
THE ROLE OF RELIGION
Religion significantly influences attitudes towards abortion. In countries where religion is highly important, support for legal abortion is typically lower. For instance, in Nigeria, where 99% consider religion important, only 8% support legal abortion. In Sweden, only 20% deem religion important, yet 95% support legal abortion. Interestingly, India breaks this pattern with 94% valuing religion and 59% supporting legal abortion.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ABORTION VIEWS
Economic factors also play a role. Generally, countries with lower GDP per capita tend to be more religious and have stricter abortion views. However, the United States is an outlier, being economically advanced yet more religious and divided on abortion.
POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES AND ABORTION
Political ideology also affects abortion views. In 15 out of 18 surveyed countries, those on the political left are more supportive of legal abortion than those on the right. The U.S. shows the most significant ideological divide, with 94% of liberals versus 30% of conservatives supporting legal abortion.
GENDER DIFFERENCES
Gender differences in abortion views are present but less pronounced than religious or ideological divides. Women in countries like Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, and the U.S. are more likely than men to support legal abortion. However, in many African and Latin American countries, as well as in places like Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Poland, Taiwan, and Vietnam, men and women tend to have similar views on abortion.
