Annual Abortion Totals in the United States
According to the latest CDC surveillance report, there were 605,472 reported abortions in the US in 2022, the most recent year with complete national data, representing a 2 percent decline from 2021 and a 10 percent drop from the 2014 peak. The Guttmacher Institute, which uses a broader survey method, estimated approximately 620,000 abortions in 2023, suggesting the CDC count misses some medication abortions and out-of-state procedures. For context, the abortion rate in 2022 was 11.2 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, the lowest level recorded in the CDC series that began in 1973. These figures place the US among the higher-volume countries globally, but well below the estimated 68 million annual abortions worldwide reported by the World Health Organization. The decline in the CDC total reflects falling rates in most states, even as medication abortion now accounts for more than half of all US abortions, according to the latest FDA data on mifepristone use. CDC Abortion Surveillance Report
State-Level Abortion Rates and Rankings
In 2022, the states with the highest abortion totals were California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Illinois, which together accounted for more than half of all reported procedures nationally. The highest rates per capita occurred in New York, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Vermont, and California, while states with trigger laws and near-total bans, such as Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, reported near-zero totals in the CDC data. After the Supreme Court decision in 2022, several states saw sharp declines in in-state abortions, with increases in patients traveling to neighboring states or using mail-order medication abortion services. The Guttmacher Institute tracks these cross-border flows and notes that medication abortion now makes up the majority of care, with 54 percent of all abortions in 2023 obtained via pills rather than procedures. Guttmacher State Abortion Data
Trends, Demographics, and Access Factors
Abortion numbers in the US have been declining for over a decade, falling from a peak of about 862,000 in 2014 to 605,472 in 2022, driven by improved contraceptive access, state restrictions, and the rise of medication abortion. Teenagers aged 15 to 19 accounted for roughly 6 percent of all abortions in 2022, while women in their 20s made up more than half, and White and Black women had the highest rates per capita among major racial groups. The number of abortion providers has shifted, with clinics in states without restrictions handling more patients, while states with bans or waiting periods saw closures and fewer procedures. Forbes Abortion Trends Analysis SEC Filings on Healthcare Companies