Abortion in Norway
Abortion in Norway: a simple overview
Current rules
- Abortion on request is allowed up to 18 weeks of gestation (about 17 weeks and 6 days from the first day of the last period).
- After 18 weeks, you must apply to a medical assessment board that decides whether an abortion will be granted.
- The later in the pregnancy, the tougher the rules become. After 22 weeks, abortion is normally not allowed unless the fetus is not viable.
- Abortion is free for people living in Norway.
- In 2024, the gestational limit was raised from 12 weeks to 18 weeks; the change took effect in June 2025.
A short history
- 1687: Abortion was punishable by death in Christian V’s law.
- 1842: Abortion was no longer a capital offense but could carry prison time in certain cases.
- 1915: Katti Anker Møller argued publicly for abortion on request, saying control over one’s own body is a basis for freedom.
- 1920s–1920s: Many illegal abortions happened; thousands of women were injured or died in illegal procedures.
- 1950s–1960s: Maternal hygiene services expanded; abortion counseling became common.
- 1960: A law allowed abortion by application to a two-physician commission, with various criteria and, if married, the husband’s consent.
- 1964–1974: Approval rates for applications grew, but practice varied.
- 1978: A law allowed abortion on request in the first 12 weeks; from week 12 to 18, abortions could be granted under special circumstances (health, social reasons, underage pregnancy, or after assault). After 18 weeks, reasons had to be extremely weighty.
- 1990s–2000s: Activism and debate continued, with shifts in public opinion and policy.
- 2013–2015: Some proposals suggested not allowing abortion after 21 weeks and 6 days; regulations later stated viability around 21 weeks 6 days unless there are reasons to doubt it.
- These laws and debates show Norway’s ongoing effort to balance women's rights with medical and ethical considerations.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:42 (CET).