Abortion in Romania

Abortion in Romania is legal during the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy. In the year 2004, there were 216,261 live births and 191,000 reported abortions, meaning that 46% of the 407,261 pregnancies that year ended in abortion.

In 1948, the new communist regime prohibited abortion. In 1957, the procedure was officially legalized in Romania, following which 80% of pregnancies ended in abortion, mainly due to the lack of effective contraception. In 1966 abortion was criminalized (except in exceptional cases) again, under the rule of Nicolae Ceauşescu. This was reversed in 1989, after the Romanian Revolution, and, since that time, abortion has been legal in Romania.