Abortion is legal and free of charge upon request in Finland in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy since 1 September 2023. Between 1970 and 2023, abortion was widely accessible in practice for a variety of reasons (including socioeconomic factors), but nevertheless, the law required the pregnant woman to state her motivations and get approval from one or two doctors.
By international standards, political controversy in Finland regarding abortion has been mild, and incidence is low. Abortions in Finland have been decreasing since the 1960s. In 2021, around 7,600 abortions were performed.[1]