The Baltic Sea region is one of only three German states to report an increase in abortions last year, prompting the ruling coaltion of Social and Christian Democrats, as well as the opposition Free Democrats, to consider the move. The politicians argue that women from low-income households are increasingly likely to forego birth control for financial reasons.
According to the proposal, poorer women older than 20 years of age would qualify, NDR reported. The parties will discuss the issue over the coming week at the state parliament in Schwerin, with officials appealing to the state government to push for a change in federal law on the issue.
The state government will also decide whether Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is to start a pilot project distributing birth control.
The number of abortions in the northeastern state rose to 3,111 last year with women between the ages of 20 and 25 most heavily affected, according to figures from the German Federal Statistics Office.
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