Worldwide, 40–50 million abortions occur annually. Nearly half of these abortions are performed unsafely, with an estimated 50,000 deaths a year as a result. Abortion-related deaths are more frequent in countries with restrictive abortion laws (34 deaths per 100,000 births), than in countries with less restrictive laws (one or fewer per 100,000 births). Access to abortion care is highly variable worldwide and, in many countries, it is illegal regardless of women’s circumstances.