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The Impact of COVID-19 on Abortions in Spain

Author

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  • Sofia Trommlerová
  • Libertad González

Abstract

We study changes in abortions in Spain around the first COVID-19 lockdown. We find a large drop of 24% in the number of abortions during and shortly after the strict lockdown in spring 2020. We explore to which extent the fall was driven by fewer (unintended) pregnancies due to social isolation versus harder access to abortion services. We show that the drop was not more pronounced in areas located further away from abortion clinics, nor in locations with more COVID-19 hospitalizations. The fall in abortions was 45% larger among non-cohabiting women (relative to cohabiting women experiencing a 16% decline). We also document a 29% drop in the abortion ratio (abortions over all pregnancies) driven exclusively by non-cohabiting women. Overall, our results suggest that the main driver of the drop in abortions in Spain was a reduction in unintended pregnancies among single women during the lockdown, due to reduced social interactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Sofia Trommlerová & Libertad González, 2024. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Abortions in Spain," Working Papers 1448, Barcelona School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bge:wpaper:1448
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    1. Arnstein Aassve & Nicolò Cavalli & Letizia Mencarini & Samuel Plach & Seth Sanders, 2021. "Early assessment of the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and births in high-income countries," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 118(36), pages 2105709118-, September.
    2. Martha J. Bailey & Lea Bart & Vanessa Wanner Lang, 2022. "The Missing Baby Bust: The Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Contraceptive Use, Pregnancy, and Childbirth Among Low-Income Women," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(4), pages 1549-1569, August.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    abortion; COVID-19; lockdown; Social interactions; abortion services; fertility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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