The abortion debate is the ongoing controversy surrounding the moral, legal, and religious status of induced abortion. The sides involved in the debate are the self-described "pro-choice" and "pro-life" movements.

For many people, abortion is essentially a moral issue, concerning the commencement of human personhood, the rights of the fetus, and a woman's rights over her own body. The debate has become a political and legal issue in some countries with anti-abortion campaigners seeking to enact, maintain and expand anti-abortion laws, while abortion rights campaigners seeking the repeal or easing of such laws while expanding access to abortion. Abortion laws vary considerably between jurisdictions, ranging from outright prohibition of the procedure to public funding of abortion. Availability of safe abortion also varies across the world.

The age-old debate between pro-life and pro-choice is a central facet of the abortion discussion. The argument of pro-life versus pro-choice ultimately revolves around the law, and the extent to which people believe that abortion should be sanctioned. The main cleavage between the two opposing sides of the debate is about the rights of the pregnant woman versus the rights of the child. Those who are pro-life tend to believe that the fetus has a right to life. In contrast, pro-choicers believe that the pregnant woman has a right to privacy. The opposing sides of the debate also disagree on the point at which a fetus becomes a legal person.