The new role of abortion in the context of low fertility in Czechia and Slovakia

Abstract

Abstract This study examines how the role of abortion has evolved in the context of low fertility and delayed childbearing, with a focus on Czechia and Slovakia—two countries that experienced both high abortion rates and a demographic shift toward later motherhood since the 1990s. Using demographic data and survey analysis, it investigates the interplay between abortion, fertility, and contraceptive use under changing reproductive regimes. The analysis is structured around three objectives: (1) to assess long-term changes in the intensity and structure of induced and spontaneous abortions since 1993; (2) to evaluate the relationship between modern contraceptive use and abortion trends; and (3) to compare evolving public attitudes toward abortion in both countries. Data from national statistical offices were used for the demographic component, while binary logistic regression was applied to European Values Study data to explore the sociocultural dimension. The findings show that in low-fertility contexts with liberal abortion laws and widespread contraceptive access, abortion rates can remain low even as contraceptive prevalence declines, suggesting a weakening of the direct association between contraceptive use and abortion trends. This challenges the assumption that abortion levels directly reflect contraceptive failure. The study offers new theoretical insights into how reproductive behavior adapts to late fertility patterns and highlights the need for nuanced reproductive health policies that account for shifting social norms and individual agency.