A survey of women who obtained an abortion in the United States between June 2021 and July 2022 found that 26 percent were Hispanic, while 33 percent were white. This statistic shows the distribution of women in the U.S. who obtained an abortion from June 2021 to July 2022, by race/ethnicity.

The ethnic and racial distribution of legal abortions in the United States varies greatly by state. For example, in Idaho non-Hispanic white women accounted for 66 percent of all legal abortions in 2022, whereas only 19 percent of abortions in Mississippi were among white women. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 many states, such as Mississippi, have made abortion illegal with limited exceptions. Which states have the most abortions? In 2022, the states with the highest total number of legal abortions were Florida, New York, and Illinois. That year, there were around 82,581 legal abortions in the state of Florida. Florida also had the fourth-highest rate of legal abortion per 100,000 women, with New Mexico reporting the highest rate. The states with the lowest rates of abortion that year were Missouri and South Dakota. Out-of-state abortions As many states have banned or restricted abortion since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it is likely that more women will now have to travel out of state if they would like to receive an abortion. Even before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a significant percentage of abortions in many states were performed on out-of-state residents. In 2022, around 69 percent of legal abortions in Kansas were performed on out-of-state residents, while out-of-state residents accounted for 62 percent of abortions in New Mexico. At that time, Illinois was the state with the highest total number of abortions performed on out-of-state residents, with around 16,849 such procedures.

In 2023, 80 percent of White American adults surveyed believed that abortion should be legal if the patient's life is endangered. The majority of Americans among all racial groups, supported the legalization of abortion under selected circumstances. On the other hand, no more than one in ten respondents among all racial groups believed that abortion should not be legal in the U.S., regardless of the circumstance.

In 2022, around 39 percent of legal abortions reported in the state of Texas were among Hispanics, while Black women accounted for 30 percent and white women 26 percent. Abortion has long been a controversial topic in the United States, with the issue once again becoming a major topic in 2022 when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing individual states to completely ban abortion if they so choose. Abortion in Texas In 2022, there were around 17,500 legal abortions reported in Texas, the eleventh highest number among all U.S. states. This was a large drop from the year prior, when Texas had the third-highest number of abortions in the United States. Concerning the rate of abortion per 100,000 population, Texas was ranked 42nd, with just 2.8 abortions per 100,000 population. In comparison, in Florida that year there were 20.5 abortions per 100,000 population, the fourth-highest rate among the states. Texas was one of a number of states with a so-called “trigger law”, which, in response to the Supreme Court decision in 2022, automatically banned abortions in all cases except to save the life of the mother. Under the new law, performing an abortion is a felony, punishable by up to life in prison. Public opinion Opinions in the United States on abortion are often divided between those who are “pro-choice” and those who are “pro-life”. Polls have shown that the share of those who identify with each side has fluctuated over the years, but a survey from 2023 found that around 52 percent of adults considered themselves pro-choice, while 44 percent were pro-life. Younger people more often believe abortion should be legal under any circumstance than older people, but only a minority across the age groups believe abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. In fact, despite several states, such as Texas, completely banning abortion, a survey from 2023 found that 55 percent of U.S. adults believed abortion should be permitted either whenever a woman decides to or under given circumstances.

In 2022, around 48 percent of all reported legal abortions in South Carolina were performed on non-Hispanic Black women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in South Carolina in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around 77 percent of all reported legal abortions in Mississippi were performed on non-Hispanic Black women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Mississippi in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, almost 68 percent of all reported legal abortions in Georgia were performed on Black women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Georgia in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around 28 percent of all reported legal abortions in Florida were performed on non-Hispanic white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Florida in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around 20 percent of all reported legal abortions in Alabama were performed on Hispanic women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Alabama in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In a 2024 survey, around 21 percent of Black women in the United States reported having had an abortion. In comparison, only 11 percent of surveyed Asian/Pacific Islander and white women had gotten an abortion after becoming pregnant.

In 2022, around 47 percent of all reported legal abortions in Minnesota were performed on white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Minnesota in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around 22 percent of all reported legal abortions in Virginia were performed on white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Virginia in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around 45 percent of all reported legal abortions in Indiana were performed on white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Indiana in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around 48 percent of all reported legal abortions in Kentucky were performed on white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Kentucky in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around five percent of all reported legal abortions in Utah were performed on non-Hispanic black women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Utah in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Louisiana in 2016, by the ethnicity of women who had obtained abortions. In that year, more than 61 percent of all reported legal abortions in Louisiana were performed on black women.

In 2022, around 89 percent of all reported legal abortions in Vermont were performed on white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Vermont in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

The rate of legal abortions in the United States has decreased over the last few decades. In 2022, there were around 19.9 legal abortions per 100 live births, whereas the rate was 34 abortions per 100 live births in the year 1990. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022, states within the U.S. have the right to severely limit or completely ban abortion if they wish, meaning that access to such procedures varies significantly depending on the state or region. Abortion in the U.S. In 2022, there were over 613,000 legal abortions in the United States. Abortion rates in the U.S. are highest among women aged 25 to 29 years and more common among unmarried women than those who are married. In 2022, there were approximately 38 legal abortions per 100 live births among unmarried women compared to four abortions per 100 live births among women who were married.
Public opinion The issue of abortion has been and remains a divisive topic among the general public and continues to be a relevant political issue. As of May 2023, around 44 percent of the population was estimated to be pro-life, while 52 percent were pro-choice and three percent mixed or neither. However, this distribution has fluctuated over the years, with pro-lifers accounting for a larger percentage than pro-choicers as recently as 2019.

In 2022, around 36 percent of all reported legal abortions in Michigan were performed on white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Michigan in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who obtained abortions.

In 2022, around 55 percent of all reported legal abortions in Oregon were performed on white women. This statistic depicts the distribution of reported legal abortions in Oregon in 2022, by the race/ethnicity of the women who had obtained abortions.