Abortion in Benin

In Benin, abortion is legal on broad socioeconomic grounds up to twelve weeks of pregnancy.

During the French colonial era, a 1920 law banned abortion except to save the life of the woman. In 2003, the National Assembly legalised abortion in the cases of threat to the mother's health, pregnancy from rape or incest, or risk of birth defects.

Benin is one of the only countries in Africa to legalise abortion. Many public health officials support legal abortion and cite the country's maternal mortality rate. Many religious leaders oppose it. Civil society organisations such as Ipas advocate for safe abortion.

The rates of abortion and self-induced abortion have increased since the 1990s. Unsafe abortion is common, especially among adolescents. Unsafe abortions are a major cause of maternal mortality in the country.