Number of legal abortion patients in Mexico 2007-2023, by residence
As of March 2023, a total of 260,836 patients performed legal abortions in Mexico City, of which 179,224 were women who resided in the capital. Meanwhile, over 71,000 patients came from the neighboring state of Mexico. Mexico City was the first state in the country where women could have abortions legally within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
An outlier in an ocean of dissonance
Varying from state to state, each region in Mexico is unique regarding abortion laws and enforcement. Apart from rape, which is unanimously recognized across all states, factors such as maternal fatality, health, and child defects are the only exceptions for abortions in most local municipalities' penal codes. In many conservative parts of the country, such as Nuevo León, 100 criminal investigations were prosecuted due to abortion in 2020. Given abortion policies' political polarization, public opinion often falls along the lines of 'pro-choice' versus 'pro-life' disputes. According to a 2019 poll, citizens in Zacatecas, Chiapas, and Tamaulipas overwhelmingly disfavored women's right to abortion by over 70 percent, while citizens in Mexico City and Baja California favored women's right to abortion by approximately 53 percent.
A population at strife with abortion rights
In 2008, the Mexican supreme court decriminalized abortion in Mexico City, which set-off a historical precedent for women's rights across the region. Overall, Mexico along with Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, and Cuba are the only five countries in the region to have passed pro-abortion legislation. Yet, the subject across the region continues to be a divisive opinion. According to a 2021 survey, Argentina remains the most progressive population, with 44 percent believing abortion should be allowed according to the woman's determination. However, across the region, around 35 percent of Latin Americans believe that abortion should only be allowed under certain circumstances, such as rape. Alternatively, birth control measures have become increasingly popular in the region. As of 2019, people in Latin America and the Caribbean were the second largest population using contraception in the world.
An outlier in an ocean of dissonance
Varying from state to state, each region in Mexico is unique regarding abortion laws and enforcement. Apart from rape, which is unanimously recognized across all states, factors such as maternal fatality, health, and child defects are the only exceptions for abortions in most local municipalities' penal codes. In many conservative parts of the country, such as Nuevo León, 100 criminal investigations were prosecuted due to abortion in 2020. Given abortion policies' political polarization, public opinion often falls along the lines of 'pro-choice' versus 'pro-life' disputes. According to a 2019 poll, citizens in Zacatecas, Chiapas, and Tamaulipas overwhelmingly disfavored women's right to abortion by over 70 percent, while citizens in Mexico City and Baja California favored women's right to abortion by approximately 53 percent.
A population at strife with abortion rights
In 2008, the Mexican supreme court decriminalized abortion in Mexico City, which set-off a historical precedent for women's rights across the region. Overall, Mexico along with Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, and Cuba are the only five countries in the region to have passed pro-abortion legislation. Yet, the subject across the region continues to be a divisive opinion. According to a 2021 survey, Argentina remains the most progressive population, with 44 percent believing abortion should be allowed according to the woman's determination. However, across the region, around 35 percent of Latin Americans believe that abortion should only be allowed under certain circumstances, such as rape. Alternatively, birth control measures have become increasingly popular in the region. As of 2019, people in Latin America and the Caribbean were the second largest population using contraception in the world.
