Number of legal abortions in Poland 1994-2022

In 2022, the number of legal abortions in Poland amounted to 161. This is an increase of over 50 percent compared to the previous year.
The current Act of 1993 allows for abortion when the pregnancy poses a threat to the life or health of a woman, or there is a high probability of severe and irreversible impairment of the fetus or an incurable disease threatening its life, or when the pregnancy is the result of a prohibited act (rape or incest). In the first two cases, termination of pregnancy is allowed until the fetus can live independently outside the mother's body. Regarding a prohibited act, if no more than 12 weeks have passed since the beginning of the pregnancy.

Legalization of abortion in Poland

In 2022, 60 percent of Poles favored legalizing abortion, which happened to be a 14 percent decrease compared to the previous year. Every third individual stated that abortion should be legal in most, if not all (22 percent) cases. In 2021, 107 abortions in Poland were performed as a result of prenatal tests or other medical reasons indicating a high probability of severe and irreversible impairment of the fetus or an incurable life-threatening disease. In 32 cases, the procedure was performed because the pregnancy threatened the life or health of the mother.

Opinion on established abortion rules

In 2020, more than 80 percent of Poles believed that abortion should be legal in pregnancies threatening the mother’s life and health and those resulting from rape. According to the survey, six out of 10 Poles believed that abortion should be legal in certain cases, and one in five thought abortion should be permitted on demand. Moreover, in October 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland announced a verdict on the so-called eugenic abortion, which aroused much controversy and protests. Seven out of 10 respondents disagreed with the opinion of the Constitutional Court on that matter.