Data Review of the International Reproduction Policy Database (2025)

The International Reproduction Policy Database (IRPD) is a novel dataset that captures national-level policies directly regulating human reproduction across 33 high- and middle-income countries between 1980 and 2020. Developed by the Emmy Noether Research Group "Varieties of Reproduction Regimes" at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, the IRPD systematically covers five areas: sex education, contraception, abortion, assisted reproductive technologies, and pregnancy care. Data were collected through expert questionnaires, ensuring both breadth and depth of policy coverage. The database offers conceptual and methodological innovations, including its exclusive focus on statutory policies and its transparent documentation practices. However, some dataset limitations, such as restricted sub-national data, challenges of external validation, and occasional gaps in coverage, should be acknowledged. While only Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are currently represented among Discuss Data-relevant countries the IRPD offers significant potential for comparative and longitudinal research on reproductive governance, policy interrelations, and institutional effects on social norms.