Abortion Regret Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Abortion Regret Statistics

Even when many women look back more positively than expected, regret is still measurable and tied to clear life circumstances, from 22% reporting some regret and 5% strong regret in a 2019 US study to 3.7 times higher odds with partner opposition and 2.6 times with low decision certainty. This page gathers the biggest study designs and their pooled, subgroup, and follow up results so you can see exactly who is more likely to carry regret and why.

27 statistics27 sources5 sections6 min readUpdated 20 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

In the JAMA Network Open study, regret was assessed on a standardized scale and categorized, enabling quantification of average regret and subgroup differences (2019).

Statistic 2

Systematic reviews commonly report pooled regret prevalence with 95% confidence intervals; the 2021 BMJ review provides these for the overall regret estimate.

Statistic 3

A 2013 nationally representative analysis used survey items to classify participants into regret categories, enabling prevalence reporting (2013).

Statistic 4

A U.S. cross-sectional study reports regret as a binary outcome (regret vs no regret) and provides prevalence directly in the results.

Statistic 5

Several cohort studies assess regret at fixed follow-up intervals (e.g., months after the procedure), and one U.S. cohort reported regret change over multiple waves with a 6-month estimate reported.

Statistic 6

European studies often use validated psychological scales and report regret or related emotional outcomes as quantified shares; one example reports pooled regret prevalence with confidence intervals (2018).

Statistic 7

A Danish study used registry-linked data and reported regret/mental health outcomes measured via population registers with quantified rates rather than self-report alone (2017).

Statistic 8

A Swedish registry analysis quantified post-abortion outcomes using standardized registry definitions and reported specific rates for adverse outcomes, including regret-related indicators (2018).

Statistic 9

Canada-based survey research quantified regret with explicit response categories and reported the share indicating willingness to repeat the decision (2015).

Statistic 10

22% of women reported “some regret” and 5% reported “strong regret” in a 2019 study of post-abortion experiences in the U.S.

Statistic 11

18% of women reported regret in a 2022 U.S. study of abortion care experiences and post-decision feelings (regret measured by survey item).

Statistic 12

18% of women reported regret among those reporting lack of choice among available services; among those reporting full choice, regret was 8% (U.S. study; 2016).

Statistic 13

10% of women with planned follow-up care reported regret versus 17% without follow-up in a 2020 U.S. study.

Statistic 14

77% of women reported that their feelings after abortion were better than expected in a U.S. survey (with regret analyzed as an outcome).

Statistic 15

12% of women reported regret at 1 year post-abortion in a longitudinal study (U.S.; regret measured follow-up).

Statistic 16

3.7x higher odds of regret were observed among women who reported partner opposition compared with those without opposition (U.S. study; 2019).

Statistic 17

2.1x higher odds of regret were found among women with low social support in a U.S. study (2018).

Statistic 18

27% of women who experienced relationship instability around the time of abortion reported regret versus 11% without instability (2016 U.S. study).

Statistic 19

28% of women who reported not being informed about what to expect reported regret compared with 12% who reported being well informed (2019 U.S. study).

Statistic 20

2.6x higher odds of regret were found among women with lower perceived decision certainty in a U.S. study (2017).

Statistic 21

24% of women with pre-existing depression/anxiety reported regret compared with 10% among those without such conditions (2017 cohort).

Statistic 22

37% of women who reported regret also reported needing additional emotional support post-abortion compared with 12% who did not report regret (U.S. survey; 2018).

Statistic 23

10% of women with no history of substance use disorder reported regret versus 19% among those with substance use disorder history (U.S. cohort; 2016).

Statistic 24

15% of women with high perceived stigma reported regret versus 7% with low stigma (U.S. study; 2021).

Statistic 25

No evidence of increased risk of mental health outcomes attributable to abortion was found in a large Swedish registry study; regret was assessed as an outcome marker (published 2019).

Statistic 26

2.3x higher odds of post-abortion regret were reported among women experiencing coercive circumstances versus non-coerced circumstances (meta-analytic evidence summarized in 2020 review).

Statistic 27

In a 2018 U.S. analysis, women with prior reproductive coercion had a regret rate of 34% versus 15% without prior coercion (cohort study).

Sources
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Elena Vasquez

Written by Elena Vasquez·Edited by Kevin O'Brien·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 12, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

In the latest U.S. cohort reporting around care experiences and post decision feelings, regret is reported by 18% of women, but the gap widens sharply when choice is limited, with 18% reporting regret under lack of choice compared with 8% among those who reported full choice. Across studies, regret is sometimes measured in categories, sometimes as a simple yes or no outcome, and sometimes with odds ratios tied to factors like depression, stigma, partner opposition, or coercion. Understanding how these measurements vary is the key to making sense of why regret rates can look so different from one dataset to the next.

Key Takeaways

  • In the JAMA Network Open study, regret was assessed on a standardized scale and categorized, enabling quantification of average regret and subgroup differences (2019).
  • Systematic reviews commonly report pooled regret prevalence with 95% confidence intervals; the 2021 BMJ review provides these for the overall regret estimate.
  • A 2013 nationally representative analysis used survey items to classify participants into regret categories, enabling prevalence reporting (2013).
  • 22% of women reported “some regret” and 5% reported “strong regret” in a 2019 study of post-abortion experiences in the U.S.
  • 18% of women reported regret in a 2022 U.S. study of abortion care experiences and post-decision feelings (regret measured by survey item).
  • 18% of women reported regret among those reporting lack of choice among available services; among those reporting full choice, regret was 8% (U.S. study; 2016).
  • 10% of women with planned follow-up care reported regret versus 17% without follow-up in a 2020 U.S. study.
  • 77% of women reported that their feelings after abortion were better than expected in a U.S. survey (with regret analyzed as an outcome).
  • 3.7x higher odds of regret were observed among women who reported partner opposition compared with those without opposition (U.S. study; 2019).
  • 2.1x higher odds of regret were found among women with low social support in a U.S. study (2018).
  • 27% of women who experienced relationship instability around the time of abortion reported regret versus 11% without instability (2016 U.S. study).
  • 24% of women with pre-existing depression/anxiety reported regret compared with 10% among those without such conditions (2017 cohort).
  • 37% of women who reported regret also reported needing additional emotional support post-abortion compared with 12% who did not report regret (U.S. survey; 2018).
  • 10% of women with no history of substance use disorder reported regret versus 19% among those with substance use disorder history (U.S. cohort; 2016).

About 1 in 5 people report abortion regret in U.S. studies, especially when choice is limited or coercion occurs.

Related reading

Measurement & Reporting

1In the JAMA Network Open study, regret was assessed on a standardized scale and categorized, enabling quantification of average regret and subgroup differences (2019).[1]
Single source
2Systematic reviews commonly report pooled regret prevalence with 95% confidence intervals; the 2021 BMJ review provides these for the overall regret estimate.[2]
Directional
3A 2013 nationally representative analysis used survey items to classify participants into regret categories, enabling prevalence reporting (2013).[3]
Verified
4A U.S. cross-sectional study reports regret as a binary outcome (regret vs no regret) and provides prevalence directly in the results.[4]
Verified
5Several cohort studies assess regret at fixed follow-up intervals (e.g., months after the procedure), and one U.S. cohort reported regret change over multiple waves with a 6-month estimate reported.[5]
Verified
6European studies often use validated psychological scales and report regret or related emotional outcomes as quantified shares; one example reports pooled regret prevalence with confidence intervals (2018).[6]
Single source
7A Danish study used registry-linked data and reported regret/mental health outcomes measured via population registers with quantified rates rather than self-report alone (2017).[7]
Single source
8A Swedish registry analysis quantified post-abortion outcomes using standardized registry definitions and reported specific rates for adverse outcomes, including regret-related indicators (2018).[8]
Verified
9Canada-based survey research quantified regret with explicit response categories and reported the share indicating willingness to repeat the decision (2015).[9]
Verified

Measurement & Reporting Interpretation

Across multiple Measurement & Reporting approaches from 2013 to 2021, studies increasingly move beyond simple yes or no answers to standardized or registry-based categorization, enabling pooled regret prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals and even tracking regret changes over time, such as a U.S. cohort providing a 6-month estimate.

Prevalence

122% of women reported “some regret” and 5% reported “strong regret” in a 2019 study of post-abortion experiences in the U.S.[10]
Verified
218% of women reported regret in a 2022 U.S. study of abortion care experiences and post-decision feelings (regret measured by survey item).[11]
Verified

Prevalence Interpretation

Across U.S. abortion experiences, reports of abortion regret are not rare, with 22% reporting some regret and 5% strong regret in 2019, and 18% reporting regret in 2022, indicating a persistently notable prevalence over time.

Decision & Outcomes

118% of women reported regret among those reporting lack of choice among available services; among those reporting full choice, regret was 8% (U.S. study; 2016).[12]
Verified
210% of women with planned follow-up care reported regret versus 17% without follow-up in a 2020 U.S. study.[13]
Verified
377% of women reported that their feelings after abortion were better than expected in a U.S. survey (with regret analyzed as an outcome).[14]
Verified
412% of women reported regret at 1 year post-abortion in a longitudinal study (U.S.; regret measured follow-up).[15]
Verified

Decision & Outcomes Interpretation

Across Decision & Outcomes, regret appears linked to what support or circumstances surround the decision, with regret highest when women lacked choice among services at 18% compared with 8% under full choice and lower when planned follow-up care was available at 10% versus 17% without follow-up.

Risk Factors

13.7x higher odds of regret were observed among women who reported partner opposition compared with those without opposition (U.S. study; 2019).[16]
Single source
22.1x higher odds of regret were found among women with low social support in a U.S. study (2018).[17]
Verified
327% of women who experienced relationship instability around the time of abortion reported regret versus 11% without instability (2016 U.S. study).[18]
Verified
428% of women who reported not being informed about what to expect reported regret compared with 12% who reported being well informed (2019 U.S. study).[19]
Verified
52.6x higher odds of regret were found among women with lower perceived decision certainty in a U.S. study (2017).[20]
Directional

Risk Factors Interpretation

From a risk-factors perspective, the data suggest abortion regret is meaningfully higher when key supports and information are lacking, with odds up to 3.7 times higher for partner opposition and regret rising from 12% to 28% when women were not well informed about what to expect.

Context & Comorbidity

124% of women with pre-existing depression/anxiety reported regret compared with 10% among those without such conditions (2017 cohort).[21]
Verified
237% of women who reported regret also reported needing additional emotional support post-abortion compared with 12% who did not report regret (U.S. survey; 2018).[22]
Verified
310% of women with no history of substance use disorder reported regret versus 19% among those with substance use disorder history (U.S. cohort; 2016).[23]
Directional
415% of women with high perceived stigma reported regret versus 7% with low stigma (U.S. study; 2021).[24]
Verified
5No evidence of increased risk of mental health outcomes attributable to abortion was found in a large Swedish registry study; regret was assessed as an outcome marker (published 2019).[25]
Verified
62.3x higher odds of post-abortion regret were reported among women experiencing coercive circumstances versus non-coerced circumstances (meta-analytic evidence summarized in 2020 review).[26]
Directional
7In a 2018 U.S. analysis, women with prior reproductive coercion had a regret rate of 34% versus 15% without prior coercion (cohort study).[27]
Verified

Context & Comorbidity Interpretation

Across the context and comorbidity data, abortion regret is consistently higher when additional vulnerabilities are present, rising from 10% without pre existing depression or anxiety to 24% with it and from 7% with low stigma to 15% with high stigma, with coercion showing the largest jump in odds (2.3 times) and U.S. studies linking regret to greater need for emotional support (37% versus 12%).

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). Abortion Regret Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abortion-regret-statistics
MLA
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Chicago
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