United States: Abortions Appear to Decline

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court, in the Dobbs v. Jackson, found that the Constitution did not confer a right to abortion. 14 states out of 50 have completely banned abortion (mainly in the South and the Midwest); others have placed restrictions on the practice.

The decision appears to have had consequences on abortion rates in the United States. Abortion data for 2022 shows that there were 424,242 legal abortions in 32 states, which represents an estimated decrease of 31,951 abortions compared to 2021, or an 8% approximate decrease. These figures must be compared with other data published by the Institute of Labor Economics, which notes that states having pro-life legislation show an increase of 32,000 births.

Texas has shown the largest drop in abortions (-33,572) while nine other states have reported a reduction of 1,500 abortions or more.

Despite Florida's July 2022 implementation of a ban on abortions beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy, abortions increased by 2,700. This is perhaps because Alabama, Georgia, and other neighboring states have applied much more stringent anti-abortion rules, thus compelling their residents to go to nearby Florida for an abortion.

Similarly, Kansas, because it still allows abortions up to 22 weeks, has seen an increase of more than 4,000 abortions, likely driven by stricter laws in its neighbors, Oklahoma and Texas. Moreover, by restricting or prohibiting abortion, certain states may be experiencing a reduction in medical complications related to abortion.

This appears to be the case in Arizona, where only eight cases of women experiencing health problems due to abortion have been reported, compared to more than 400 in Pennsylvania, a state where abortion is legal up to 24 weeks.