Norway extends legal abortion limit from 12 to 18 weeks

Norway’s parliament has approved legislation to extend the legal abortion limit from 12 to 18 weeks.

The proposal, backed by the centre-left minority government, passed with broad support, despite some internal divisions within the government on the issue.

The new law, which replaces the 1978 legislation, grants women the right to make the decision to have an abortion up to the 18th week of pregnancy. Previously, abortions after the 12th week were permitted only with approval from a medical committee made up of two doctors, though refusals were rare.

Supporters of the change argued that the old system was outdated, conservative, and paternalistic, emphasizing that the new law allows women to make decisions regarding their own bodies. Opponents, including the Christian Democratic Party, contended that late-term abortions often concern the viability of the fetus and are essentially about “eliminating the patient” rather than addressing an illness.

The legislation also allows women up to 18 weeks to decide whether to reduce the number of fetuses in the case of multiple pregnancies.

Data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health shows that 83% of abortions in Norway in 2023 occurred before the ninth week of pregnancy, while only 4.7% took place after week 12 with medical committee approval.

Norway’s decision follows Denmark’s announcement in May to extend its abortion limit from 12 to 18 weeks, with the change set to take effect in June 2025. In Western Europe, countries with the latest abortion limits include Britain and the Netherlands at 24 weeks, and Iceland at 22 weeks.