Paper examines how the role of abortion has evolved in the context of low fertility and delayed childbearing, with a focus on Czechia and Slovakia—two countries that experienced both high abortion rates and a demographic shift toward later motherhood since the 1990s. Using demographic data and survey analysis, it investigates the interplay between abortion, fertility, and contraceptive use under changing reproductive regimes.

The findings show that in low-fertility contexts with liberal abortion laws and widespread contraceptive access, abortion rates can remain low even as contraceptive prevalence declines, suggesting a weakening of the direct association between contraceptive use and abortion trends. This challenges the assumption that abortion levels directly reflect contraceptive failure. The study offers new theoretical insights into how reproductive behaviour adapts to late fertility patterns and highlights the need for nuanced reproductive health policies that account for shifting social norms and individual agency.

Jirina Kocourkova received her PhD from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, where she later obtained the title of Professor of Demography. She is a leading expert in demography with a research focus on fertility, reproductive behaviour, and family policy in the Czech and broader European context. She has authored numerous scientific publications that have been widely cited and has served as a member of the editorial boards of several international academic journals.