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Abortion Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research

Here’s a look at abortion in the United States.

Facts

January 22, 1973 – Roe v. Wade – The US Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, affirms the legality of a woman’s right to have an abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

2003 – President George W. Bush signs a law called the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. The law uses a non-medical phrase to describe a late-term procedure that involves dilation and extraction of the fetus. The law has been challenged in courts, including the Supreme Court, which upheld the law in a 5-4 ruling in 2007.

May 2, 2022 – Politico publishes what it calls a draft of a majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that would overturn Roe v. Wade’s holding of a federal constitutional right to an abortion. The court confirms the authenticity of the document on May 3, but stresses it is not the final decision. The opinion in the case is not expected to be published until late June.

June 24, 2022 – The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade with a 6-3 decision, holding that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion. Going forward, abortion rights will be determined by states, unless Congress acts.

The Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funds like Medicaid to be used to obtain or perform an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger.

Some states fund abortion under other circumstances than those mandated by the Hyde Amendment.

State abortion laws and policies from the Guttmacher Institute (As of May 31, 2022).

Statistics

Number of abortions reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from selected reporting areas:

2019: 629,898

2018: 619,591

2017: 609,095

2016: 623,471

2015: 638,169

2014: 652,639

2013: 644,435

2012: 699,202

2011: 730,322

2010: 765,651

2009: 789,217

2008: 825,564

2007: 827,609

2006: 852,385

2000: 857,475

1995: 1,210,883

1990: 1,429,247

1985: 1,328,570

1980: 1,297,606

* The totals may fluctuate depending on how many states provide numbers in a given year.

2019 Statistics

2019 is the most recent year for which the CDC has released statistics.

The total number of abortions increased 2% from 2018 to 2019. There were 11.4 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44.

According to the CDC, 79.3% were performed at the ninth week or earlier and 92.7% were performed at or before 13 weeks. About 9% were performed later than 13 weeks.

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