NEW YORK, June 18, 2002 (LSN.ca) – The United Nations Population Division has issued Abortion Policies: A Global Review. The study is an updated, country-by-country examination of national policies concerning induced abortion and the context within which abortion takes place. Comparable information is presented for all Member and non-member States of the United Nations.
The publication claims to provide the “most up-to-date, accurate and objective information about the nature of laws and policies relating to abortion in both developed and developing countries, at the end of the twentieth century.” The report indicates that there are some 50 million induced abortions every year with about 40 per cent being performed illegally.
The publication says that abortion is legally permitted to save the life of the woman in 98 per cent of the countries in the world. Other grounds for abortion are to preserve the physical health of the woman (63 per cent of countries), to preserve mental health (62 per cent), in case of rape or incest (43 per cent), foetal impairment (39 per cent), economic or social reasons (33 per cent), and on request (27 per cent). Grounds on which abortion is permitted varies greatly among development regions. For example, abortion is permitted upon request in 65 percent of developed countries and in only 14 percent of developing countries, and for economic and social reasons in 75 percent of developed countries and 19 percent of developing countries.
See the full report from the UN at: https://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/abortion.htm