Get "In the Know": Questions About Pregnancy, Contraception and Abortion
Abortion Incidence
How many women around the world have abortions each year?
- Each year, women have an estimated 46 million abortions worldwide. Of these, 20 million are clandestine abortions and are generally unsafe. More than three-quarters of all abortions occur in developing countries. (2)
How many abortions occur in the United States?
- In 2003, 1.29 million abortions were performed in the United States. From 1973 through 2003, more than 43 million legal abortions occurred in the United States. (25)
What is the U.S. abortion rate?
- The abortion rate is the number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 in a one-year period. In 2003, the abortion rate was 20.8, meaning that about 2% of all U.S. women aged 15–44 had an abortion. (25)
What is the U.S. abortion ratio?
- The abortion ratio is the proportion of pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) ending in abortion. In 2003, the abortion ratio was 24%, meaning that about one-quarter of all U.S. pregnancies ended in abortion. (25)
Is abortion becoming less common in the United States?
- Yes. After increasing between 1973 and 1980, the abortion rate has been declining overall and for most subgroups. However, it increased in 2000 among poor and low-income women (those living at less than twice the poverty level, or less than $28,300 for a family of three) and women on Medicaid. (26)
What were the trends in abortion in the United States in the 30 years after legalization?
- The number of annual legal abortions and the abortion rate increased through the 1970s, leveled off in the 1980s and fell during the 1990s. Since 2000, these declines have slowed almost to a standstill. (25,27)
What proportion of U.S. women will have an abortion in their lifetime?
- On the basis of current abortion rates, one in three American women will have had an abortion by age 45. (28)
Which U.S. states have the highest abortion rates (by state of residence)?
- New York has the highest abortion rate (38.1 per 1,000 women) followed by New Jersey (36.5 per 1,000), Maryland (32.5 per 1,000), California (31.1 per 1,000), Nevada (30.6 per 1,000) and Florida (29.9 per 1,000). The abortion rate in Washington, DC, is 39.7 per 1,000. (29,30)
Which U.S. states have the lowest abortion rates (by state of residence)?
- The states with the lowest rates of abortion are South Dakota (6.4 per 1,000 women), Utah (6.6 per 1,000), North Dakota (6.9 per 1,000), Kentucky (7.5 per 1,000), West Virginia (7.9 per 1,000) and Idaho (9.9 per 1,000). (29,30)
This resource was produced with support from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and the Roth Family Foundation.
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