Examining abortion statistics in the United States requires understanding how these figures are compiled, current numbers, historical patterns, and influencing factors. This overview provides a clearer picture of abortion trends across the nation.
How Abortion Data is Collected
Abortion statistics in the United States are primarily collected and reported by two main organizations: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute. The CDC gathers data through its Abortion Surveillance system, which relies on voluntary reporting from state health agencies and the District of Columbia. This means that not all states provide data, and some, like California and Maryland, consistently do not, which can lead to incomplete national totals in CDC reports.
The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization, collects its data by directly surveying abortion providers, including clinics, hospitals, and physicians’ offices, and supplements this with health department data. They attempt to contact every known provider and estimate for non-responding facilities. Due to these differing methodologies, the Guttmacher Institute often reports higher total abortion numbers than the CDC, although both organizations generally show similar trends over time. This difference arises because Guttmacher’s data aims to include all 50 states, while CDC data may exclude certain areas.
Recent Abortion Statistics in the US
For 2022, the CDC reported a total of 613,383 abortions from 48 reporting areas. Among 47 continuously reporting areas, the CDC noted an abortion rate of 11.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years and an abortion ratio of 199 abortions per 1,000 live births in 2022. This represented a slight decrease from 2021, with the number of abortions decreasing by 2%, the rate by 3%, and the ratio by 2%.
The Guttmacher Institute, providing more comprehensive estimates, reported approximately 1,037,000 abortions in 2023, marking an increase from 930,160 in 2020. Their projected abortion rate for 2024 was 15.4 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44. This organization also noted that medication abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023, an increase from 53% in 2020. These recent figures highlight a slight increase in abortion numbers in the late 2010s and early 2020s, a departure from previous long-term declines.
Historical Trends in Abortion Numbers
Following the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which legalized abortion nationwide, the annual number of abortions in the U.S. steadily rose. The abortion rate peaked around 1980 and 1981, reaching 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age. After this peak, abortion numbers and rates generally experienced a sustained decline for several decades. The Guttmacher Institute reported that the number of abortions in 2020 was 40% lower than in 1991, while the CDC indicated a 36% lower figure in 2021 compared to 1991, considering continuously reporting areas.
This long-term downward trend saw occasional plateaus or slight increases, particularly in the mid-2000s and again in the late 2010s. For instance, the CDC reported modest increases in abortions in 2018 and 2019, followed by a slight decrease in 2020, and then a 5% increase in 2021. The Guttmacher Institute also noted an 8% increase over the three-year period from 2017 to 2020. Despite these recent upticks, the overall historical pattern from the early 1980s through the late 2010s demonstrated a significant reduction in abortion incidence across the country.
Key Factors Shaping Abortion Rates
Various factors contribute to the observed fluctuations and overall levels of abortion rates in the United States. Socio-economic conditions play a role, as financial concerns are frequently cited reasons for seeking an abortion, along with the impact a new child might have on a woman’s existing responsibilities or education. Poverty levels, for example, are associated with higher rates of abortion, with a significant percentage of individuals seeking abortions having incomes below the federal poverty level.
Access to contraception and family planning services also influences abortion rates. Improved access to effective contraception can contribute to a reduction in unintended pregnancies, which in turn affects abortion numbers. Changes in public policy, particularly landmark legal decisions, have had a profound impact. The overturning of Roe v. Wade by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022 eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion, allowing individual states to regulate or ban the procedure. This decision has led to significant shifts in abortion access, with an increase in interstate travel for abortion care and a rise in the use of medication abortions, particularly via telehealth. The legal landscape continues to evolve, with states implementing various restrictions or protections, influencing where and how abortions are accessed.