Abortion: large majority for decriminalization

Does the debate about the decriminalization of abortion have what it takes to become a social explosive? If the comments from the CDU and CSU, among others, are anything to go by, yes. However, a look at the numbers suggests a different conclusion.

In a representative Forsa survey for RTL and ntv, almost three quarters of Germans (74 percent) are in favor of allowing abortions within the first twelve weeks without restrictions in the future. As of now, abortions are generally a criminal offense in Germany and only go unpunished in the first twelve weeks under certain conditions. This includes, among other things, compulsory counseling or a pregnancy resulting from rape.

Among other things, members of the Bundestag from the Greens and SPD want to remove abortions from the criminal code – and, according to the survey, they have a clear majority behind them. Only 20 percent of those surveyed reject extensive legalization. Remarkable: Even 75 percent of supporters of the Protestant Church and 62 percent of the Catholic Church are in favor of liberalizing abortion rights.

In addition, 50 percent are in favor of the costs of permitted abortions being covered by health insurance companies. 45 percent are against it. Currently, health insurance companies only pay if the abortion is medically necessary or the pregnancy is the result of a crime.

The opinion research institute Forsa surveyed a total of 1002 people on November 20th and 21st, 2024. The statistical margin of error is +/-3 percentage points. The star is part of RTL Deutschland.