Legal Changes and Attitudes Toward Abortion in South America: Social Decriminalization?

This article examines attitudes toward abortion in South America amid accelerated legal change and moral disputes. Between 2012 and 2022, six countries made their legal frameworks towards abortion more flexible. In critical dialogue with modernization theories and their tensions in the region, we assess whether these reforms were accompanied by attitudinal change. Using World Values Survey data (waves 5–7), we found high levels of social penalization and remarkable stability in attitudes. Religiosity, age, and the importance attributed to politics emerged as key factors. The findings point to a partial and non-linear process of cultural modernization, compatible with persistent religiosities, structural inequalities, and enduring moral cleavages.

Keywords
abortion; attitudes toward abortion; decriminalization; South America; World Values Survey