Recent research indicates that the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which shifted abortion regulations back to individual states, has not resulted in a decrease in the number of abortions.
A report from the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, reveals that in 2023, there were over one million abortions, marking the highest rate in more than ten years and a 10 percent increase from 2020.
The report highlights:
Increases in the number of abortions were close to universal—almost every state without a total ban saw an increase in the number of abortions provided, as compared to 2020.
The 10% increase at the national level in many ways understates the degree to which health systems, providers and support networks have had to scale up care. This is because it does not speak to the large shifts in where people are able to obtain abortions: states without total bans experienced a 25% increase in abortions provided in 2023, as compared to 2020.
Many Republican-led states have restricted access to abortion services, prompting numerous women to travel out of state to undergo the procedure.
According to Guttmacher, the rise in abortions to increased efforts by abortion rights supporters to ensure access to the procedure:
In part, this is because the drastic loss of access in states with bans has been counterbalanced by monumental efforts on the part of clinics, abortion funds and logistical support organizations to help people in ban states access care through financial and practical support. States bordering ban states had particularly large increases.
In total, abortions in these states increased by 37% between 2020 and 2023, with particularly sharp increases in Illinois (38,010 more abortions than in 2020, or an increase of 72%), New Mexico (15,090 more abortions, an increase of 257%), Virginia (14,190, an increase of 76%) and North Carolina (12,970, or 41%). Much of the increase in these states was due to increased travel across state lines. Illinois, for example, provided abortion care to an estimated 25,660 more patients from out of state, accounting for 68% of its overall increase.
The statistics are disheartening for pro-life activists, as many had hoped that the Dobbs decision would lead to increased protection of life throughout the United States.
Nevertheless, these numbers could challenge a portion of the Democratic Party’s election tactics, especially with reports suggesting that Joe Biden, who is purportedly Catholic, intends to prioritize abortion as a key issue in his campaign.
Meanwhile, Trump has indicated his desire for Republicans to adopt a more moderate stance on the issue due to concerns that taking a hardline position could be detrimental in elections.
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