Despite abortion restrictions being implemented in 21 states since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a new report from the Guttmacher Institute found that "abortions in the U.S. are increasing." An estimated 1,026,690 abortions were performed in the country in 2023, marking a 10 percent increase since 2020 — the highest rate in over a decade.
Over 160,000 patients traveled out of state in 2023 to seek abortion care, and "states bordering ban states had particularly large increases." The report noted that "while access has decreased dramatically in states with bans, almost all other states have experienced substantial increases in the number of abortions provided."
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"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," it stated.
The increase is due to a number of factors, including broader access via telehealth platforms, and policies in 22 states as well as the District of Columbia protecting the care. The trend "can be positive," the report stated, but overall simply "reflects larger shifts in people’s childbearing desires over time."
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The report stressed that "increases do not negate the impact of anti-abortion policies," but rather "the data provides important evidence that people will continue to seek abortion care in spite of the policy barriers that anti-abortion policymakers impose." In particular, "communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, young people, immigrants, people living with low incomes and those living with disabilities already contend with multiple barriers to accessing care."
It also emphasized that the estimated numbers "are almost certainly an undercount," as they include only the abortions obtained "within the formal US health care system," such as clinics or doctor’s offices, and via telehealth and virtual providers.
"State policymakers must develop and pass robust laws that support people’s ability to access abortion care with dignity and respect — for their own residents and for patients from other states," the report concluded.
