What the data says about abortion in the US

Sixty percent of U.S. adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a January 2026 survey. Data from the CDC and Guttmacher Institute show a long-term decline in procedures since the 1990s, with medication abortions now accounting for the majority of cases.

The survey was conducted nearly four years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion. A separate survey conducted shortly before the 2022 decision indicated that few Americans hold absolutist views on the issue.

Why do abortion statistics vary between the CDC and Guttmacher Institute?

Different data collection methods lead to differing totals. The CDC relies on voluntary submissions from state health agencies, but it has not received data from California since the mid-1990s, according to the agency.

The Guttmacher Institute surveys every known provider, including clinics, hospitals, and physicians’ offices. Because of this comprehensive approach, Guttmacher’s figures are typically higher than those reported by the CDC.

In 2020, Guttmacher tallied 930,160 abortions. The CDC reported 613,383 abortions in 2022 across the 46 states and D.C. that provided data.

How has the method of abortion changed over time?

Medication abortions using pills now represent the most common method. The CDC reports that 58% of U.S. abortions involved pills in 2022. Guttmacher data showed a similar trend, with pill-based abortions rising from 39% in 2017 to 53% in 2020.

The FDA states that the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is safe until 10 weeks into pregnancy. Surgical abortions, which are now less common, typically use suction in the first trimester or dilation and evacuation in the second.

These figures only include clinical settings. A 2024 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that medication abortions obtained outside clinical settings increased in the six months following the May 2022 Supreme Court decision.

What are the demographics and timing of abortions in the U.S.?

The vast majority of abortions occur early in pregnancy. According to 2022 CDC data, 93% of abortions happened at or before 13 weeks of gestation.

Age and marital status are key demographic markers. Women in their 20s accounted for 57% of abortions in 2022, while 88% of women who had abortions that year were unmarried, according to the CDC.

Race and ethnicity data from 31 states and D.C. show that 39% of women who had abortions in 2022 were non-Hispanic Black, 32% were non-Hispanic White, and 21% were Hispanic.

How safe are legal abortions?

Medical complications occur in about 2% of all U.S. abortions, according to StatPearls. Most of these complications do not require hospitalization or further medical intervention.

The CDC case-fatality rate—the number of deaths per 100,000 legal abortions—was 0.46 during the period from 2013 to 2021. This is the lowest rate recorded by the agency, compared to 2.09 deaths per 100,000 between 1973 and 1977.

Annual deaths from legal induced abortions have ranged between two and 12 since 1990. In 2021, five women died due to complications from legal induced abortions, according to the CDC.

What may happen to abortion access next?

The number of facilities providing abortions has declined significantly since 1982, falling from 2,908 to 1,603 by 2020. Most of this decline occurred in hospitals, according to Guttmacher.

Clinics now handle the vast majority of care, providing 96% of abortions in 2020. However, clinic numbers have dropped from 807 in 2020 to 753 in December 2025.

This continuing decline in physical clinics could lead to an increased reliance on medication abortions and a potential rise in procedures performed outside of traditional clinical settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of abortions are performed on women living outside the state?

In 2022, 16.5% of abortions in clinical settings were performed on women who lived outside the state where the procedure took place, up from 10.9% in 2021, according to CDC data.

How many women have had more than one abortion?

In 2022, 56% of women had their first abortion, 25% had their second, 11% had their third, and 8% had four or more, according to the CDC.

How many women have previously given birth before having an abortion?

According to 2022 CDC data, 41% of women had no previous live births, while 59% had at least one previous live birth.

How do you think the shift toward medication-based care will change the way healthcare is delivered in your community?