U.S. only one of 7 countries to allow elective abortion after 20 weeks

The Charlotte Lozier Institute looked at the abortion laws of 198 countries, independent states and semi-autonomous regions with populations of 1 million people and found that the permissive abortion policy in the United States was far outside the norm.

For this report, it is appropriate to compare the United States with the other 58 countries that allow abortion on demand up to some point in pregnancy. The remaining 139 countries require some reason to obtain an abortion (that is to say, they do not permit abortion on demand) and are, by definition, more restrictive than the United States on the issue of gestational limits. To require some reason before obtaining an abortion is inherently more restrictive than not requiring any reason at all.

This report finds that the United States is one of only seven countries in the world that permit elective abortion past 20 weeks. This finding suggests that current proposals in the United States to restrict elective abortions past 20 weeks would move the United States from the fringe, ultra-permissive end of the spectrum to a position closer to international norms.

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