Abortion legislation

Legislation timeline

  • 1991: abortion is allowed (independence of Estonia)
  • 1998: the Termination of Pregnancy and Sterilization Act is adopted (25 November)
  • 2015: the Termination of Pregnancy and Sterilization Act is amended (02 March)

Source: IPPF European Network - Updated January 2012 (http://www.ippfen.org/), Law (https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/120022015011)

Abortion conditions

Ground Gestational limit
To save a woman’s life 22 weeks from LMP
Because foetal impairment 22 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

Source: IPPF European Network - Updated January 2012 (http://www.ippfen.org/), Law (https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/120022015011)

Legal conditions

  • Written consent by the woman
  • Pre-abortion consultation (legal counselling) + pre-abortion laboratory tests.

Specific conditions for minors

  • None

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 Yes Yes No
Midwife office No No No
Abortion centre/clinic
At home No No No

Source: Recommendations by guideline of Estonian Gynaecologists Society (http://rasedusekatkestamisejuhend.weebly.com/)

* In the office of health care professional (HCP) who has activity licence for gynaecological care.

Mandatory pre-abortion examinations

  • Blood group and rhesus factor
  • Ultrasound

Involved healthcare professionals

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

Abortion statistics

Abortion rates per 1.000 women aged 15-49

Source: https://statistika.tai.ee/pxweb/en/Andmebaas/Andmebaas__01Rahvastik__03Abordid/?tablelist=true

Overall number of induced abortions

Source: https://statistika.tai.ee/pxweb/en/Andmebaas/Andmebaas__01Rahvastik__03Abordid/?tablelist=true

Abortion ratio per 1.000 live births: 265 (2019)

Source: http://andmebaas.stat.ee/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=RV154

Abortions performed “on request”: 95% (2018)

Source: National Institute for Health Development - Estonian Abortion Registry (http://www.tai.ee/en/r-and-d/registers/estonian-medical-birth-registry-and-estonian-abortion-registry/statistical-data-of-embr-and-ear)

Overall number of induced abortions vs. medical abortions

Source: https://statistika.tai.ee/pxweb/en/Andmebaas/Andmebaas__01Rahvastik__03Abordid/?tablelist=true

Induced abortions per gestational age

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source: https://statistika.tai.ee/pxweb/en/Andmebaas/Andmebaas__01Rahvastik__03Abordid/?tablelist=true

Place of abortion

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source:

Characteristics of women having induced abortion

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source: https://statistika.tai.ee/pxweb/en/Andmebaas/Andmebaas__01Rahvastik__03Abordid/?tablelist=true

In 2020 among women who had induced abortion:

  • 99% lived in Estonia
  • 58% had at least 1 previous induced abortion
  • 72% had at least 1 child.

Fertility and contraception

Fertility rates in women aged 15-49

Source: https://statistika.tai.ee/pxweb/en/Andmebaas/Andmebaas__01Rahvastik__02Synnid/?tablelist=true

Women age at first birth

  • 28,2 years of age (2020)

58% of women aged 15-44 used a contraceptive method (2020):

  • **% used oral contraceptive
  • 4,1% used intra-uterine device (IUD).

Pre-abortion contraception

  • In 2020, 38% of women who had abortion had a contraceptive method before abortion procedure.

Country-specific characteristics

  • Women have to give written consent.
  • Abortion is taught during health care professionals’ (HCPs’) medical studies.
  • All HCPs have the right to conscientiously object.
  • Both surgical and medical abortions are free of charge for resident women only when they are performed due to medical reasons.
    • Resident women have to pay around 40 € (medical) or 55 € (surgical) for abortion “on request”.
    • Non-resident women (whose social tax is not paid) have to pay around 80 € for medical abortion, or 180 € for surgical abortion.

Download statistics of Estonia

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

References

  • IPPF European Network – Updated January 2012 (http://www.ippfen.org/)
  • Estonian Health Insurance Fund’s list of health care services (https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/130122016013)
  • Health Insurance (https://www.haigekassa.ee/en/people/health-insurance)

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: 31 March 2023