The President of Argentina, Javier Milei, held the legalization of abortion responsible for the decrease in the country's birth rate, alleging that the practice of eliminating children in the mother's womb is generating significant costs for development and social security.
At a business forum held at the Council of the Americas in Buenos Aires, the Argentine president stated that the country was paying a high price for this situation, referencing the symbol of the struggle of Argentine women for the right to abortion, which came into effect in January 2021.
Cited by the news agency France-Presse (AFP), Milei emphasized that Argentina is not reaching the population and birth growth rates essential for demographic renewal. He stressed that this trend of abortions entails losses in both growth and social security and human capital.
According to a recent report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in 2024, the fertility rate in Argentina was 1.2 children per woman. The legislation on voluntary termination of pregnancy was sanctioned in December 2020 and implemented in January 2021, following an intense social debate.
The law establishes that abortion is possible up to fourteen weeks of gestation without the need for justification, in addition to providing exceptions when the pregnancy results from sexual violence or when the health or life of the pregnant woman is threatened.