Abortion legislation

Legislation timeline

  • 1952: Abortion is allowed (Yugoslavia)
  • 1974: Art. 191 (21 February)
  • 1978: new Law (21 April)

Source: United Nations publication (http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm)

Abortion conditions

Ground Gestational limit
To save a woman’s life No limit
Because of foetal impairment 24 weeks from LMP*
To preserve a woman’s mental health
To preserve a woman’s physical health
For economic and social reasons
On request 12 weeks from LMP

*Approval from the Ethics Commission needed.

Source: Law dated 21 April 1978

Legal conditions

  • Written consent by the woman
  • Mandatory pre-abortion laboratory tests and ultrasound examination

Specific conditions for minors

  • Specific legal counselling
  • Parents (or guardians) have to sign for minors under 18

Source:

  • United Nations publication – http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm
  • National law

Practical conditions

Medical abortion conditions

Place Prescription 1st drug taken 2nd drug taken
OB/GYN department of a hospital/clinic Yes Yes Yes
Another physician office
Midwife office
Abortion centre/clinic
At home

Source:

Mandatory pre-abortion examinations

  • Blood group and rhesus factor
  • Ultrasound

Involved healthcare professionals

  • Surgical abortion: obstetrician/gynaecologist (OB/GYN)

Source:

Abortion statistics

Abortion rates per 1,000 women aged 15-49

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis-za-2021-tablicni-podaci/

Overall number of induced abortions

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/periodicne-publikacije/izvjesce-pobacaji-u-zdravstvenim-ustanovama-u-hrvatskoj-2021-g/

Abortion ratio per 1.000 live births: 73 (2021)

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/periodicne-publikacije/izvjesce-pobacaji-u-zdravstvenim-ustanovama-u-hrvatskoj-2021-g/

Abortions performed “on request”: 80% (2021)

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/periodicne-publikacije/izvjesce-pobacaji-u-zdravstvenim-ustanovama-u-hrvatskoj-2021-g/

Overall number of induced abortions vs. medical abortions

Source:

Medical abortion is widely performed in Croatia nowadays; however, no exact data concerning this procedure is available so far.

Induced abortions per gestational age ()

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/periodicne-publikacije/izvjesce-pobacaji-u-zdravstvenim-ustanovama-u-hrvatskoj-2021-g/

Place of abortion ()

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/periodicne-publikacije/izvjesce-pobacaji-u-zdravstvenim-ustanovama-u-hrvatskoj-2021-g/

The official data presented on this website page refer to abortions performed in public hospitals.

Characteristics of women having induced abortion

Distribution of induced abortion according to women age (2021)

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/periodicne-publikacije/izvjesce-pobacaji-u-zdravstvenim-ustanovama-u-hrvatskoj-2021-g/

In 2021, among women who had induced abortion:

  • 99% lived in Croatia
  • 21% had at least 1 previous induced abortion
  • 64% had at least 1 child.

Source:

  • https://www.hzjz.hr/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis-za-2021-tablicni-podaci/
  • https://www.hzjz.hr/periodicne-publikacije/izvjesce-pobacaji-u-zdravstvenim-ustanovama-u-hrvatskoj-2021-g/

Fertility and contraception

Number of live births per 1,000 women aged 15–49

Source: https://www.hzjz.hr/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis-za-2021-tablicni-podaci/

Women age at first birth

  • 28 years of age (2014)

Pre-abortion contraception

  • In 2017, 23.1% of women who had abortion had a contraceptive method before abortion procedure

Source:

  • CIA (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2256.html)

Country-specific characteristics

  • Women have to give written consent.
  • All HCPs have the right to conscientiously object.
  • Both surgical and medical abortions are free of charge when due to medical reasons only for resident women and for non-resident women who have some kind of the official Croatian health insurance. Otherwise, women have to pay €200 – 270.

Source:

  • United Nations publication (http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm)
  • Official decrets of the providers
  • Institutions/Hospitals

Download statistics of Croatia

The statistics presented are freely accessible and may be used, copied, displayed or distributed provided that their source is given. You can choose whether you prefer to download the statistics of the last 10 years or the full data set. Press one of the buttons to generate a report in PDF format for this country.

Last 10 years
Full data set

Abbreviations: EFTA = European Free Trade Association | EU = European Union | IUD = intra-uterine device | LARC = long-acting reversible contraception | LMP = last menstruation period | GYN = gynaecologist | HCP = health care professional | hCG = human chorionic gonadotropin | HIV = human immunodeficiency virus | OB = obstetrician | Rh = Rhesus | US = ultrasound

A special thanks to our correspondents for contributing in data collection.
Please contact info@exelgyn.com if you have additional data or would like to comment information

Page last updated: 4 July 2023