The State of Abortion in the United States
WASHINGTON (Feb. 19, 2024) – National Right to Life today released The State of Abortion in the United States, 2024. The eleventh annual edition summarizes key legislative developments on the state and federal level in the first year following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
The report notes that the annual number of abortions was on the increase in the years leading up to Dobbs, largely due to a highly intensified promotion of the abortion pill. However, more recent numbers appear to show that as many as 89,000 preborn children have been saved since Dobbs due to new protective state laws.
In addition, the report contains an in-depth look at the ongoing extra-constitutional campaign to jam the long-expired Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) into the U.S. Constitution, and explains the sweeping impact that the ERA could have on abortion law—a potential impact once denied but now loudly proclaimed by prominent pro-abortion advocates.
“Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, the state of abortion in the United States has changed dramatically as many states have enacted laws to protect unborn children and their mothers from the tragedy of abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.
Key highlights from the report include:
- Abortion data through 2020 released by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute show a rise in abortion with most abortions done using chemical abortion – a method that puts women at increased risk.
- Based on data from the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute, National Right to Life now estimates that 65,464,760 abortions have been performed in the United States since 1973.
- In the months following Dobbs, several states moved to enact laws designed to provide maximum protections from abortion to unborn children and their mothers. However, according to the National Right to Life Department of State Legislation, as examined in the report, 26 states and the District of Columbia have guaranteed a right to abortion by court decision, constitutional amendment, or state legislative statute.
Tobias continued, “Pro-life education and legislative efforts are making an impact on our culture and in the lives of women facing unexpected pregnancies. But there is still much to do to help women and their preborn children.”
The report is available from the National Right to Life Communications Department here: https://www.nrlc.org/wp-content/uploads/StateofAbortion2024.pdf
National Right to Life experts, including President Carol Tobias; Director of Education and Research Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D.; Legislative Director Jennifer Popik, J.D.; and State Legislation Director Ingrid Duran are available to provide further information about the report and its insights. Call the NRLC Communications Department at (202) 626-8825 or email mediarelations@nrlc.org to arrange an interview.
