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Abstract
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In Iran, abortion is illegal and only possible under certain circumstances. This article aims to explain people’s attitude toward abortion in the sociocultural context of the Iranian society. Data were obtained from three waves of the World Values Survey (WVS) conducted in 2000, 2005, and 2020 respectively. The survey samples were selected from population aged 18+ by multi-stage random sampling. The results show that over the past two decades, the negative attitude toward abortion decreased by 23.4%, and the liberal attitude toward abortion increased from 1.3% in 2000 to 4.1% in 2020. Younger generations have a more positive attitude toward abortion compared to older generations. Multivariate result indicated that people with weaker religious beliefs, positive attitudes toward gender equality, and modern attitudes toward family values had more positive attitude toward abortion. Given the growth of liberal attitudes to abortion, a rising trend of abortion incidence in Iran is expected. So, it is important the government considers a revision the legality of abortion, with the aim of averting the health risks for women seeking abortion.
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