Abortion legislation

Legislation timeline

  • 1959: abortion is allowed in some specific cases. It was passed in 1959 and came into action in 1964
  • 1964: Legislation came into action
  • 1975: Act No. 50 (13 June)
  • 1978: Act No. 5 and regulations for the implementation of the Act (16 June)

Source: Abortion law (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1975-06-13-50)

Abortion conditions

Ground Gestational limit
To save a woman’s life No limit
Because 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 12 weeks from LMP

Source: Abortion law (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1975-06-13-50)

Legal conditions

  • Written consent by the woman
  • Health personnel are obliged to offer counselling on contraception but the women can deny it.

Specific conditions for minors

  • Parent’s (or guardian’s) consent required for minors under 16

 

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

Source: Norsk Gynekologisk Forening (https://legeforeningen.no/Fagmed/Norsk-gynekologisk-forening/)

Mandatory pre-abortion examinations

  • None

Involved healthcare professionals

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

Abortion statistics

Abortion rates per 1.000 women aged 15-49

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Overall number of induced abortions

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Abortion ratio per 1.000 live births: 213 (2019)

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Abortions performed “on request”: 95.4% (2018)

Source: http://statistikk.fhi.no/mfr/

Overall number of induced abortions vs. medical abortions

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Induced abortions per gestational age

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Place of abortion

Source: Abortion law (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1975-06-13-50)

Characteristics of women having induced abortion

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Among women who had induced abortion:

  • 36% had at least 1 previous induced abortion in 2007-2011
  • 50% had at least 1 child in 2007-2010.

Fertility and contraception

Fertility rates in women aged 15-49

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Women age at first birth

  • 29.5 years of age (2018)

Overall contraception data

  • Contraceptive prevalence rate was 136/1,000 women aged 15-39 in 2016 (excluding intra-uterine device (IUD) and contraceptive vaginal ring); oral contraceptive prevalence rate was 118/1,000.

Pre-abortion contraception

  • 19% of women who had abortion had a contraceptive method before abortion procedure (2007-2011).

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; they can avoid participating in the operation itself, but cannot refuse to help in pre- and post-operation care.
  • Both surgical and medical abortions are free of charge for resident women. Non-resident women have to pay between 260 € (medical) and 900 – 1,000 € (surgical) unless they are registered citizens or they applied for asylum.

Download statistics of Norway

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

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