Abortion rates have fallen over the past 25 years, even as more countries have made the procedure legal and easier to get, according to a new report released Tuesday.
Countries with the most restrictive abortion laws also have the highest rates of abortion, the study by the Guttmacher Institute found.
Easier access to birth control drives down abortion rates, the report also finds.
The report finds about 56 million abortions occur every year — nearly 50 million of them in developing countries.
Because there are so many women of childbearing age, the number of abortions has gone up, but the rates per 1,000 women have fallen, the report found.
The highest abortion rates are now found in Latin America and the Caribbean, where abortion is strongly restricted legally.
“In many states, regulations have created barriers to safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable abortion services,” the report reads. »