The abortion rate decreased by 100 percent in 13 states in the U.S. between April 2022 and June 2023. In June of 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned its ruling on Roe v. Wade, the case that protected the right to terminate a pregnancy. Roe v. Wade In June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling that overturned the 1973 case, Roe v. Wade. Since then, 12 states have completely banned abortion, while other state’s place time limits on abortion. The new ruling – outlined in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – was an extremely divisive decision and caused considerable controversy and backlash. More than half of the American population considers themselves to be “pro-choice,” and even religiously affiliated Americans generally do not think that abortion should be illegal in all cases. While the Roe v. Wade ruling did not make abortion outright illegal, it did hand back the power to make decisions regarding abortion rights back to state legislatures. The ruling has placed millions of women at risk, and healthcare providers in legal limbo as to what kinds of procedures they are permitted to perform. Changes in the abortion rate The United States has seen a gradual decline in its abortion rate over the last decades. In the months following the Supreme Court decision, the abortion rate in each state has changed in different ways. States friendly to abortion that border states with more restrictive abortion policies have seen the most dramatic increases in performed abortions. Kansas, for example, saw a 72.2 percent increase in abortions after the nearby states of Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas increased restrictions. A similar story has played out in North Carolina, where abortions increased by 44.6 percent. In this case, the nearby states of South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee became less friendly to abortion. While the possibility to travel to a neighboring state to receive care is not illegal, it can be markedly expensive. This means that ultimately, people with lower incomes will have a disproportionately difficult time accessing abortion care.

In a ruling over the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the U.S. constitution does not confer a right to abortion, therefore allowing states to ban abortion if they choose. One year after this ruling, the overall number of abortions in the United States had actually increased. In states with a ban on abortion, the number of such procedures had decreased, while those states without a ban had seen an increase in abortions. For example, March 2023 saw 19,940 more abortions in states without a ban compared to in April and May 2022, just before the Supreme Court ruling. This statistic shows the estimated change in the number of abortions in the United States per month post-Dobbs (July 2022 to June 2023) compared to pre-Dobbs (April and May 2022), by legal status of abortion.

From 2020 to 2023, the state of Colorado saw an 88 percent increase in the number of abortions performed in the state. Since the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, many states, such as Arkansas, Alabama, and Missouri, have completely banned abortion while others have seen decreases in the number of brick-and-mortar clinics that provide such services. However, many other states have seen increases in the number of abortions performed, even when the number of abortion clinics decreased.

In 2022, there were around 613 thousand legal abortions in the United States. The number of legal abortions in the United States has decreased significantly since the early 1990’s. This number will probably continue to decrease in the coming years since many states have severely limited or completely banned abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022. The states with the highest abortion rates In 2022, the rate of legal abortions per live births in the United States was 19.9 per 100. In comparison, in 1990 there were 34.4 abortions per 100 live births. The states with the highest rates of abortion per live births are New Mexico, Illinois, and Florida. In Florida, there were around 37 abortions per 100 live births in 2022. Florida had the highest total number of abortions that year, followed by New York and Illinois. Missouri and South Dakota had the lowest number of abortions in 2022. Out-of-state abortions Critics of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade argue that while those who can afford it may be able to travel to other states for an abortion if their state bans the procedure, poorer residents will have no such choice. Even before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, out-of-state residents already accounted for a high share of abortions in certain states. In 2022, 69 percent of abortions in Kansas were performed on out-of-state residents, while out-of-state residents accounted for around 62 percent of abortions in New Mexico. Illinois had the highest total number of abortions performed on out-of-state residents that year, with around 16,849 procedures.

In recent years, clinics have navigated a historic demand shock and abrupt regulatory transformation. Rapid growth stopped in 2020, resulting from the economic fallout caused by COVID-19. Luckily, the negative impact was mitigated by robust government funding. In the few years following the pandemic, economic conditions improved. Growth in per capita disposable income and healthy corporate profit supported out-of-pocket and private insurance payments for pent-up demand. However, the landscape shifted once again in 2022 with the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, impacting states with trigger laws banning abortion services. States supporting abortion services have taken measures to protect access to care, leading to an influx of out-of-state patients seeking services. The adoption of telemedicine, especially for medication abortion and innovative solutions like mobile abortion clinics have helped mitigate the challenges posed by clinic closures and reduced procedures. As a result, industry revenue is projected to increase at a CAGR of 1.7% through 2024 and reach $4.3 billion, when revenue will drop slightly by 1.0%. Clinics that have adapted to provide telemedicine and medication abortion services and are not subject to telemedicine restrictions will fare better than those whose funding is restricted. Despite the uncertain regulatory landscape, growth opportunities exist driven by expected growth in federal funding, disposable income and corporate profit. The industry remains poised for expansion, with some consolidation expected, but providers must stay agile amid the evolving environment and changing patient needs. Substitutes like a recently FDA-approved over-the-counter oral contraception may challenge the clinic's contraceptive services, which are the largest source of revenue. Despite the uncertainty in the future, industry revenue is forecast to accelerate at a CAGR of 3.6% through 2029 to total $5.1 billion, with profit holding at 8.0%.

From 2011 to 2017 there was a 19.8 percent increase in the abortion rate in the state of Wyoming, compared to a decrease of 62.9 percent in Delaware. This statistic shows the percentage change in the abortion rate in the U.S. from 2011 and 2017, by state.

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.

A survey of women who obtained an abortion in the United States between June 2021 and July 2022 found that 45 percent of women who received an abortion were insured under Medicaid, while 21 percent had no health insurance at all. This statistic shows the distribution of women in the U.S. who obtained an abortion from June 2021 to July 2022, by health insurance status.

From 2020 to March 2024, the state of New Mexico saw a 117 percent increase in the number of brick-and-mortar abortion clinics in the state. However, following the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, many states saw decreases in the number of brick-and-mortar clinics that provided abortion services, with some, such as Arkansas, Alabama, and Missouri, banning the procedure altogether.

The global favorability toward the legalization of abortion in the United States decreased by nine percentage points between 2014 and 2023. In 2023, 55 percent of respondents believed that abortion should be permitted, either in all cases or most cases. In 2022, the phrasing was changed, indicating that 54 percent of respondents believed abortion should be legal in either all or some cases.

It is perhaps no surprise that adults in the United States who identify as Democrats are far more likely to favor the legalization of abortion, with 42 percent of Democrats surveyed in 2024 supporting the legalization of abortion under any circumstance. This position was supported by only six percent of Republicans.

In the Northwest region of the U.S. between 2011 and 2017, there was a net increase in the number of abortion clinics, with 59 new clinics, versus a decrease of 33 in the Midwest. The statistic illustrates the change in the number of abortion clinics in the U.S. from 2011 to 2017, by region.

In 2023, the birth rate among teenagers and young adult women aged 15 to 19 stood at 13.1 births per every thousand women. This statistic shows the U.S. birth rate among teenagers and young adult women, aged 15-19 years, between 1991 and 2023. Teenage pregnancy and birth Teenage pregnancy and births are related to a number of negative outcomes. Babies born to teenage mothers are more likely to be premature and have a low birth weight, and teen mothers often experience gestational hypertension and anemia. Additionally, there are significant adverse effects on socioeconomic and educational outcomes for teenage parents. Teenage pregnancy is usually unplanned and due to the negative consequences mentioned above the ratio of legal abortions to live births in the United States is highest among teenagers. In 2022, there were 374 legal abortions per 1,000 live births among girls and young women aged 15 to 19 years, compared a ratio of 284 legal abortions per 1,000 live births among women aged 20 to 24 years. Contraceptive use among teens Contraceptive use is the best way for sexually active teenagers to avoid unwanted pregnancies, but use and accessibility remain problems in the United States. In 2021, only 23 percent of high school girls in the U.S. used the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy before their last sexual intercourse. Use of the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy is highest among white teenagers and lowest among Black teenagers, with only 11 percent of Black teenagers reporting use in 2021. Condom use is more common among high school students, but still only around half of sexually active students reported using a condom during their last sexual intercourse in 2021.

In 2022, nearly 65 percent of U.S. adults surveyed believed that policies that provide more support for women during pregnancy, such as financial assistance or employment protections would reduce the number of abortions. This statistic depicts the distribution of public views on impact of selected policies to change the number of abortions in the U.S. in 2022.

In 1991, the birth rate for girls aged 10 to 14 years in the United States stood at 1.4 births per every thousand girls. Since 1991, this rate has consistently decreased, dropping to .2 in the year 2023. This statistic depicts the number of births per thousand U.S. females aged 10 to 14 years between 1991 and 2023. Teenage pregnancy and contraception Over the years, the rate of teenage pregnancy and birth has declined in the United States, most likely due to lower rates of sexual activity in this age group as well as increased use of birth control methods. However, the use and accessibility of contraceptives remains a problem in many parts of the United States. For example, in 2021, only 21 percent of sexually active high school students reported using the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy before their last sexual intercourse. This rate was highest among white high students and lowest among Black students, with only 11 percent reporting use of the birth control pill before their last intercourse. Condom use is more prevalent among high school students than use of the pill, but still only just over half of high school students reported using a condom the last time they had sex as of 2021. Disparities in teenage pregnancy Although rates have decreased over the past decades, teenage pregnancy and birth rates in the U.S. are still higher than in other Western countries. Geographic, racial, and ethnic disparities in teen birth rates are still prevalent within the country. In 2023, teenage birth rates were highest among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. Other contributing factors to high teen birth rates also include poor socioeconomic conditions, low education, and low-income status.