Anti-abortion laws failed to reduce France’s massive abortion rate.

Evidence

Besides, the law that dooms young women to death, sterility, and illness is totally powerless to ensure an increase of births. A point of agreement for both partisans and enemies of legal abortion is the total failure of repression. According to Professors Doléris, Balthazard, and Lacassagne, there were 500,000 abortions a year around 1933; a statistic (cited by Dr. Roy) established in 1938 estimated the number at 1 million. In 1941, Dr. Aubertin from Bordeaux hesitated between 800,000 and 1 million. This last figure seems closest to the truth. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1418

Categorization

• QUESTION: Figures range 500k-1M; modern demographers might reassess these estimates.
• XREF: connects to: Abortions in France roughly equaled live births in number.