Are abortions up or down since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
Asked by: scraper | Last update: August 26, 2026Score: 0/5 (0 votes)
Total abortions in the U.S. have slightly increased overall since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, reaching the highest numbers in a decade by 2024, reports Guttmacher Institute. While abortions ceased in states with total bans, a surge in telehealth, increased access to medication abortion, and shield laws in other states led to more abortions overall.
Have abortion rates changed since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
Note: This brief was updated on January 7, 2026 to incorporate new data on abortion statistics. In the three years since the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, the total number of abortions nationally has slightly increased.
How many babies have been aborted in the US since Roe v. Wade?
An estimated 63 to 66 million abortions have been performed in the United States since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. The total encompasses both the original Roe era and the subsequent period following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision.
Are abortion rates increasing or decreasing?
Abortions in the United States have slightly increased in recent years. Clinician-provided abortions reached an estimated 1.13 million in 2024 and maintained similar levels in 2025, marking the highest totals since 2009.
What has happened since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022 (Dobbs decision), the US has seen a stark divide: roughly 14–19 states have implemented near-total abortion bans, leading to a 5.6% increase in infant deaths in those areas. Despite these bans, national abortion numbers have actually increased to a 10-year high due to widespread telehealth, abortion pills, and shielded access in "sanctuary" states.
Amount of abortions decline nationwide since overturn of Roe v. Wade
Did crime go down after Roe v. Wade?
Data indicates that crime in the United States started to decline in 1992. Donohue and Levitt suggest that the absence of unwanted children, following legalization in 1973, led to a reduction in crime 18 years later, starting in 1992 and dropping sharply in 1995.
Why did Ruth Bader Ginsburg not like Roe v. Wade?
Although Roe v. Wade supports abortion access based on the right to privacy, Ginsburg proposed that our laws should go further to protect a woman's right to bodily autonomy. “If you impose restraints that impede her choice, you are disadvantaging her because of her sex,” she told the Senate.
Has abortion gone up since Dobbs?
Yes, the total number of abortions nationwide has increased since the Dobbs decision. Despite outright bans and severe restrictions in many states, tracking data shows that clinician-provided abortions have climbed steadily year over year.
Who has the most abortions in America?
At the individual level, the vast majority of people who have abortions in America only have one in their lifetime. Demographically, the highest rates of abortion occur among Black women, women in their 20s, and individuals living in states with protected access to reproductive healthcare.
What were the effects of overturning Roe v. Wade?
Overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022 immediately ended federal abortion rights, allowing states to ban or heavily restrict the procedure. This created a patchwork of laws leading to increased births in restricted states, reduced access to reproductive care for millions, exacerbated maternal health disparities, and caused uncertainty in medical training regarding obstetric emergencies.
At what age are most fetuses aborted?
The vast majority of people who obtain abortions are in their 20s, with those in the 20 to 29 age bracket accounting for approximately 57% to 61% of all procedures. The highest abortion rates are consistently found among women aged 20–24 and 25–29.
What country has the highest abortion rate?
Greenland records the highest abortion rate globally, with rates frequently estimated between ≈84is approximately equal to 84≈84 and ≈100is approximately equal to 100≈100 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age. High rates are also consistently seen in several Eastern European and Caribbean nations.
How many states have banned abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
As of early 2026, 13 states have implemented total bans on abortion (with limited exceptions) following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, according to data from the KFF Abortion in the United States Dashboard. These bans have generally held in place, although legal challenges continue in some areas.
How many fetuses have been aborted since Roe v. Wade?
An estimated 64 to 66 million abortions have been performed in the United States since the Roe v. Wade decision legalized the procedure nationwide in 1973.
What is the leading cause of abortion in the US?
The most common reason for abortion in the United States is that a pregnancy would interfere with a woman's education, work, or ability to care for existing dependents, cited in roughly three-quarters of cases. Other leading factors include financial instability and a lack of partner support.
Can a 22 weeks pregnancy be aborted?
If you're more than 22 weeks pregnant, the abortion usually requires a two-stage procedure. In stage 1, you'll be given an injection to stop the heartbeat of the fetus and medication to soften the cervix (opening of the womb). Stage 2 is carried out the following day.
Why was Roe v. Wade flawed?
Wade is both undertheorized and unsatisfying. Critics of Roe—such as John Hart Ely and Justice Scalia—have hammered the Court's opinion for recognizing a supposed right to abortion that lacks a clear textual foundation in the Constitution's language.
Have abortions decreased since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
Total abortions in the U.S. have not decreased since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022; they have slightly increased, hitting the highest numbers in over a decade by 2024. While abortion bans stopped in-person procedures in several states, increased telehealth and medication abortions, along with travel to states where it is legal, have driven this rise.
What changed after Roe v. Wade was overturned?
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion legality is no longer protected federally and is instead decided by individual states. This has resulted in a strict patchwork of abortion access across the U.S., with some states banning abortion entirely while others have expanded protections.
Is the rate of abortion increasing?
The abortion rate in 2025 was 16.7 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44. This is the same as the rate for 2024, a 5% increase from 2023 (when the abortion rate was 15.9), and a 16% increase from the 2020 rate. Current national and state abortion counts are available from Guttmacher's Monthly Abortion Provision Study.
Which state has the lowest abortion rate?
Based on 2022 CDC data and recent post-Dobbs analyses, Missouri and South Dakota have the lowest abortion rates in the United States, with both states reporting fewer than 1 abortion per 1,000 women of child-bearing age, and frequently reporting zero or near-zero in-state clinical abortions due to total bans.
What ethnicity has the most abortions in the US?
Black women have the highest number and rate of abortions in the United States, accounting for over 40% of all reported procedures. While demographics vary by state, national data shows that Black women obtain the majority of abortions, followed by white and Hispanic women.
What is the annual abortion rate in the US?
An estimated 1.12 million abortions were provided by US clinicians in 2025, continuing an upward trend following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This recent surge is largely attributed to the expansion of telehealth, virtual clinics, and "shield law" protections that facilitate the mailing of medication abortion pills.
Is abortion a form of birth control?
No, abortion is not considered a form of birth control.
When were abortion rates the highest?
From 1973 to 1980, the abortion rate rose almost 80%, peaking at 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age in 1980 and 1981. From 1981 through 2017, the abortion rate fell by more than half, falling faster in Democratic administrations than Republican ones.