Numbers Don't Lie: The American Abortion Rate Is the Lowest in Decades

With reproductive rights increasingly under attack across the nation, a newly released report finds that abortion rates are lower than they have been in more than four decades — in every state.

Despite ushering in an era of legalized abortion, the report suggests Roe v. Wade did not prompt a mass dependence on the procedure, with the abortion rate steadily declining since 1980. As of 2014, abortion rates were lower than they were in 1973, when Roe v. Wade's verdict was delivered.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports legalized abortion, 14.6 of every 1,000 women had abortions in 2014 (the most recent available data set). For perspective, the highest the abortion rate recorded was 29.3 in 1980. The report also indicated that far fewer women actually obtained abortions in 2014, with just under a million procedures documented.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said access to better birth control has influenced the abortion rate in an interview with NPR: "It shows that we're finally doing a better job of helping women get access to birth control that's affordable and that's high-quality."

Another factor in the abortion rate's decline, according to the report? State-imposed restrictions on abortion. While the increasing legal barriers to abortion likely influenced the rate, they certainly were not the only factor, since rates declined across all states.

As Donald Trump's presidency nears, pro-choice advocates are concerned that Roe v. Wade is under threat, but also that women will not be able to obtain birth control without health care. Surprisingly, many Republican members of Congress support a measure which would legalize over-the-counter birth control; however, their motives are driven by a desire to repeal its coverage under the Affordable Care Act.