Abortion in Denmark was fully legalized on 1 October 1973. Contemporary abortion law allows the procedure to be done electively if a woman's pregnancy had not exceeded its 18th week. Parental consent is required for minors below the age of 15, except in special circumstances. An exception is permitted for abortions after 18 weeks if the woman's life or health were in danger, or if certain other circumstances were proven, such as poor socioeconomic condition of the woman; risk of birth defects in the baby; the pregnancy being the result of rape; or of mental health risk to the mother.

The Danish Code of 1683 called for the execution of any unmarried who terminated her pregnancy, and at least 17 women were executed on these grounds in the preceding period 1624–1663.

The Midwife Regulation of 1714 (Jordemoderforordningen) extended the death penalty to midwives who induced abortions, though it is unclear how often the penalty was effectuated. A 1760 case involving the use of illegal abortion drugs was settled administratively with a fine; a 1772 court case over a woman who died following the illegal administering of drugs likewise led only to a fine; and towards the end of the century, death sentences were routinely commuted.

With the new penal code of 1866, the maximum penalty was reduced to eight years of penal labor. In 1930 it was further reduced to two years in prison, and an exemption was added for pregnancies threatening the life of the mother.

The issue of liberal reforms in abortion laws was raised in public and political debate during the 1920s and 1930s, in parallel with the debate around sexual education and birth control.

Abortion was first allowed in 1939 by application; if the doctors deemed the pregnancy fell into one of three categories (harmful or fatal to the mother, high risk for birth defects, or a pregnancy borne out of rape), a woman could legally have her pregnancy terminated. A little more than half of the applications received in 1954 and 1955 were accepted; the low acceptance rates were linked to a surge of illegal abortions performed outside the confines of hospitals. An addendum to the 1939 law was passed on 24 March 1970, allowing elective abortions only for women under the age of 18 who were deemed "ill-equipped for motherhood", and women over the age of 38.

Abortion in Denmark was fully legalized on 1 October 1973, allowing abortion to be done electively if a woman's pregnancy had not exceeded its 12th week. Parental consent was required for minors below the age of 18, except in special circumstances. Exceptions were permitted for abortions after 12 weeks if the woman's life or health were in danger, or if certain other circumstances were proven, such as poor socioeconomic condition of the woman; risk of birth defects in the baby; the pregnancy being the result of rape; or of mental health risk to the mother. This reform marked a crucial step towards recognizing women's right to make choices about their own bodies. Decriminalization not only ensured access to safe abortion procedures but also aligned Denmark with evolving international standards on reproductive rights.

As of 2013^[update], the abortion rate was 12.1 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–49 years, which is below average for the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). The vast majority of Danes support access to legal abortions. In 2007, polls found that 95% supported the right.