The Relationship Between Economic Freedom and Abortion Access Worldwide

Abstract

This study examines the impact national economic freedom has on abortion access across 176 countries in 2023.  The Center for Reproductive Rights defines five different categories of abortion access ranging from countries that do not permit abortion under any circumstances to countries that allow abortion on request.  The Heritage Foundation annually compiles economic freedom scores for each nation.  The authors then use a series of t-tests to compare the average economic freedom score among countries in one abortion access category to the corresponding average among countries in another abortion access category.  Average economic freedom scores are higher, and in some cases significantly higher, in countries with more liberal abortion laws.