The number of abortions decreased by nearly a quarter in Spain during the two months of strict lockdown due to COVID-19
The sudden decrease in terminations was due to a fall in unwanted pregnancies, especially among single women, and not to barriers to getting access to health services.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona
Research involving Pompeu Fabra University has concluded that abortions in Spain fell by around 24% during the two months of strict lockdown due to covid-19 in the spring of 2020. The study, conducted by the researchers Libertad González (UPF Department of Economics and Business and Barcelona School of Economics) and Karina Trommlerová (Institute of Public Policy of Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia), reveals that this reduction was not due to the closure of clinics or difficulties getting access to the health service, but to a decrease in unwanted pregnancies, especially among single women.
In “The Impact of COVID-19 on Abortions in Spain”, recently published in the journal Population and Development Review, the two economists analyse the administrative data of all abortions carried out in Spain between 2016 and 2020. The results show that in addition to the notable decrease during the two months of lockdown (from mid-March to mid-May 2020), the number of abortions also remained below previous levels for several further months.
The most plausible explanation for the fall in the number of abortions lies in behavioural changes brought about by lockdown
“At first glance one might think that the fall in the number of abortions in Spain during lockdown was due to difficulties accessing the health service. However, in our research we show that the reductions were similar in provinces with or without centres that perform voluntary terminations, and in areas that were more or less affected by the pandemic. In Spain, the centres that perform these types of intervention remained open , and the procedure was deemed essential health care”, the authors highlight.
The most plausible explanation for the fall in the number of abortions lies in behavioural changes brought about by lockdown. “Strict mobility restrictions and home confinement drastically reduced opportunities for social interaction and therefore sexual relations outside of usual cohabitation. Consequently, the fall in abortions was 45 percent greater among non-cohabiting relative to cohabiting women”, they point out.
The level of abortions after lockdown continued to be low
During the months following strict lockdown, the incidence of abortions was 5% lower than expected in the absence of the pandemic. Furthermore, this new level did not differ between cohabiting and single women: according to the authors, this pattern may be driven by an overall drop in unwanted pregnancies (due to less sexual activity and greater use of contraceptives) or by a higher portion of conceptions in the wake of the pandemic that ended in birth (change in fertility intentions).
Beyond the first year of the pandemic, the authors report that abortion levels remained low during 2021. However, much of this period was affected by the second wave of covid-19. The number of abortions by both cohabiting and non-cohabiting women returned to its original levels after February 2022, i.e., almost two years after the first drop in the number of abortions brought about by the pandemic.
Effects on social dynamics and differences between countries
The study underscores that the pandemic not only transformed areas like work and education but also private lives and social dynamics: in economic terms, the reduction in voluntary terminations in Spain reflects a fall in demand (fewer unwanted pregnancies) rather than in the limited availability of services.
The research shows, on the one hand, that access to reproductive health services remained intact in Spain even during lockdown, unlike in other countries where restrictions and temporary closures were enforced.
In this regard, the results for Spain contrast with those of countries like Mexico and the United States, where the fall in abortions was linked principally to restricted access to health care. In the case of Spain, the changes in social behaviour were enough to cause a notable effect.
Also, the marked contrast between women living with their partner or not reveals the extent to which changes in social life and opportunities for interaction affected reproductive behaviours. In all, the study “highlights how lockdown policies not only influenced health and the economy but also people’s most intimate decisions and circumstances”, the authors conclude.
Reference work: Trommlerová, S.K., González, L. (September 2025) “The Impact of COVID-19 on Abortions in Spain”, Population and Development Review
https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.70022
Journal
Population and Development Review
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
“The Impact of COVID-19 on Abortions in Spain”
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