Abortion legislation

Legislation timeline

  • 1975: abortion is allowed (Law N° 75-17 dated 17 January)
  • 2001: Law N°2001-588 (4 July)
  • 2013: Decree N°2013-248 (25 March)
  • 2014: Law 2014-873 (4 August)
  • 2016: Law 2016-41 (26 January)
  • 2022: The Law of 2 March 2022 aimed at strengthening the right to abortion extends the time limit for accessing voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP) by two weeks. VTP can now be performed before the end of the 14th week of pregnancy (up to 15 weeks and 6 days of amenorrhoea). It also makes permanent the extension of the time limit for accessing medical abortion in outpatient settings to seven weeks of pregnancy (nine weeks of amenorrhoea). Midwives are now authorised to perform surgical abortions up to the end of the 10th week of pregnancy in hospital settings. The two-day reflection period is no longer mandatory between the psychosocial consultation and the collection of consent. Furthermore, a directory listing professionals and facilities providing abortion services must be made available in regional health agencies.
  • 2023: Decree No. 2023-1194 of 16 December 2023, concerning the practice of instrumental abortions by midwives in healthcare establishments, allows them to perform abortions without being supervised by a doctor.
  • 2024: The Law of 8 March 2024 enshrines in the 1958 Constitution the guaranteed freedom of women to access abortion services (Article 34).

Source: IPPF European Network - Updated January 2012 (http://www.ippfen.org/), Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial (MFPF) (http://www.planning-familial.org/), Ministère des affaires sociales sanitaires et de la santé. Je m’informe sur l’IVG (http://ivg.social-sante.gouv.fr/l-ivg-en-pratique.html)

Abortion conditions

Ground Gestational limit
To save a woman’s life No limit
Because of foetal impairment No limit
To preserve a woman’s mental health
To preserve a woman’s physical health
For economic and social reasons
On request 14 weeks from LMP

Source: IPPF European Network - Updated January 2012 (http://www.ippfen.org/), Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial (MFPF) (http://www.planning-familial.org/), Ministère des affaires sociales sanitaires et de la santé. Je m’informe sur l’IVG (http://ivg.social-sante.gouv.fr/l-ivg-en-pratique.html)

Legal conditions

  • Written consent by the woman
  • Pre-abortion consultation (legal counselling)
  • Pre-abortion confirmation consultation
  • Pre-abortion laboratory tests
  • No mandatory period between pre-abortion confirmation consultation and abortion procedure. In case there is a consultation with a social worker, it is followed by a mandatory 2-day period before the signature of the consent form which can be done on the day of the abortion procedure.
  • Contraception to be evoked during pre-abortion consultation.

Specific conditions for minors

  • Pre-abortion consultation with a relationship counsellor required for minors under 18 (emancipated minors excl.).
  • Parent’s (or guardian’s) consent required for minors under 18. If the minor wants to keep abortion a secret, she has to be accompanied by an adult of her choice.

Source:

  • IPPF European Network – http://www.ippfen.org/
  • Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial (MFPF) – http://www.planning-familial.org/
  • Ministère des affaires sociales sanitaires et de la santé. Je m’informe sur l’IVG – http://ivg.social-sante.gouv.fr/l-ivg-en-pratique.html

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

Source: HAS guidelines 2021

For the places OB/GYN dept. of a hospital/clinic, Another physician office, Midwife office, and at home, it is according to term of pregnancy

Mandatory pre-abortion examinations

  • Blood group and rhesus factor

Involved healthcare professionals

  • Surgical abortion: obstetrician/gynaecologist (OB/GYN) or another physician
  • Medical abortion: OB/GYN, another physician or a midwife

Source:

  • Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial (MFPF) (http://www.planning-familial.org/)
  • Ministère des affaires sociales sanitaires et de la santé. Je m’informe sur l’IVG (http://ivg.social-sante.gouv.fr/l-ivg-en-pratique.html)

Abortion statistics

Abortion rates per 1,000 women aged 15-49

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-sexuelle-et-perinatale

Overall number of induced abortions

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-sexuelle-et-perinatale

resident women only

Abortion ratio per 1.000 live births: 340 (2023)

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-sexuelle-et-perinatale

Abortions performed “on request”: 100% (2022)

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/publications-communique-de-presse/etudes-et-resultats/interruptions-volontaires-de-grossesse-la

Figures given in DREES report inluded only abortion on request

Overall number of induced abortions vs. medical abortions

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-sexuelle-et-perinatale

Induced abortions per gestational age (2023)

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-sexuelle-et-perinatale

Place of abortion (2023)

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/publications-communique-de-presse/etudes-et-resultats/240924_ER_Nombre_IVG

In 2023, 90% of surgical abortions were performed in public hospitals and 46% of medical abortions were performed in private facilities.

Characteristics of women having induced abortion

Abortion rate per 1,000 women according to age (2023)

Source: https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-sexuelle-et-perinatale

In 2023, among women who had induced abortion:

  • 99.9% lived in France (metropolitan France or overseas departments)

Source:

  • https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sante-sexuelle-et-perinatale

Fertility and contraception

Fertility rates in women aged 15-50

Source: https://www.insee.fr/fr/outil-interactif/5367857/tableau/20_DEM/22_NAI

Women age at first birth

  • 31.0 years of age (2023)

Overall contraception data

  • 97.4% of women having sexual intercourse aged 18-44 used a contraceptive method (2013):
  • 43% used oral contraceptive
  • 21% used intra-uterine device (IUD).

Source:

  • https://www.insee.fr/fr/outil-interactif/5367857/tableau/20_DEM/22_NAI
  • https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/7750004
  • https://www.ined.fr/en/everything_about_population/data/france/abortion-contraception/method/

Country-specific characteristics

  • Women have to give written consent.
  • If the non-emancipated minor wants to keep abortion a secret, she can be accompanied by an adult of her choice, different from her parents/guardian.
  • All HCPs have the right to conscientiously object but they are required to inform without delay and provide referral. Each public hospital medical consultant must accept the provision of the termination of pregnancy, if this has been decided by the board of governors, in order to comply with the mission of the public health services. They are entitled to refuse to practice it but cannot oppose colleagues who do so.
  • Both surgical and medical abortions are free of charge for resident women.

Source:

  • IPPF European Network – Updated January 2012 (http://www.ippfen.org/)
  • Code de la santé publique : Article R4127-47 (https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072665&idArticle=LEGIARTI000006912913&dateTexte=&categorieLien=cid)
  • Legifrance.gouv.fr – JORF n°0057 du 8 mars 2016 texte n° 30
  • IVG.GOUV.FR Toute l’information sur l’interruption volontaire de grossesse (http://mtsfp-vm-dicom-ivg-preprod.accelance.net/avortement-prix.html)

Download statistics of France

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
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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: 16 December 2024