The number of abortions in the U.S. slightly declined in 2022, the year the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This decision returned the power to regulate abortion access to the states.
Abortions dropped by just 2% in 2022 compared to 2021, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The abortion rate fell by 3%, and the abortion ratio decreased by 2%.
The total number of abortions fell from about 622,000 in 2021 to 609,000 in 2022, the data showed.
This decline came as Republican-led states enacted abortion bans, often allowing exceptions for medical emergencies, following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Most abortions occurred before nine weeks of pregnancy. Over 70% were early medication abortions, similar to numbers before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the CDC reported.
Around 6% of abortions were performed between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. About 1% happened at or after 21 weeks, according to the report.
Women in their 20s accounted for more than half of all abortions, the data revealed.
The report also noted that nearly 60% of women who had abortions had previously given birth.
The CDC’s data covers 47 areas in the U.S. that have consistently reported numbers from 2013 through 2022.