Denmark announced significant changes to its country’s abortion laws that allowed girls between the ages of 15 and 17 to have an abortion without requiring parental consent. The legal age of consent is 15 years old in Denmark, and government officials wanted its abortion policy to align with this law, according to reports. 

The new law also stipulates that women can legally terminate pregnancies up to 18 weeks. Previously, women were allowed to get abortions for pregnancies up to 12 weeks legally, the Associated Press reported. The changes come after some of Denmark’s government officials expressed the need to modernize its country’s laws regarding abortion.

It is reportedly the first change to the country’s abortion laws in 50 years. The Scandinavian country currently has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. 

“After 50 years, it is time for the abortion rules to keep up with the times,” Sophie Løhde, Denmark’s Health Minister, said.

Denmark’s gender equality minister, Marie Bjerre, celebrated the law change. She welcomed it as a sign that her country was fortifying abortion rights compared to other places around the world.

“It is about the individual woman’s freedom, about the right to decide over her own body and her own life,” Bjerre said. “It is a historic day for women’s equality.”

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Abortion became legal in Denmark in 1973, and the procedure is covered at no cost for its country’s residents. The number of abortions in the country reached its zenith in 1975, according to the Associated Press. While the number of abortions in Denmark has significantly decreased since that time, statistics from the Danish Health Data Authority show an increase in recent years. In 2017, there were reportedly 14,500 abortions in Denmark. In 2022, that number increased to 14,700. 

Denmark’s new abortion law regarding abortion is expected to go into effect on June 1, 2025, according to the Associated Press.