Around 2025, the picture of abortion in the United States is still sharply uneven, with 93 percent of abortions in 2020 occurring by 13 weeks and 1 in 5 medication abortions in 2021 involving telehealth. Globally, 73 million induced abortions happen every year between 2015 and 2019, yet 45 percent of those are unsafe and drive 13 percent of maternal deaths. This post pulls together how timing, safety, and access vary by age, income, race, and geography.
Key Takeaways
- 85% of US abortions are among singles
- Globally, 59% of abortion patients have children
- In US 2021, 42% Black, 30% white, 21% Hispanic abortion patients
- In 2021, an estimated 73 million induced abortions occurred worldwide each year between 2015-2019
- Globally, 45% of all induced abortions are unsafe, resulting in 5-13% of maternal deaths
- 61% of all unintended pregnancies end in abortion worldwide
- Globally, unsafe abortions cause 13% of all maternal deaths
- Post-abortion complications lead to 7 million women treated annually worldwide
- Safe abortion using WHO-recommended methods has no mortality risk
- In 2022, 14 US states enacted 39 new abortion restrictions
- Post-Dobbs, 14 states banned abortion entirely by 2024
- Globally, 73 countries permit abortion on request, covering 70% of world population
- In 2020, CDC reported 620,327 legal induced abortions in the US
- US abortion rate in 2020 was 11.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, down 2% from 2019
- Abortion ratio in US 2020 was 204 per 1,000 live births
Abortion rates reflect major disparities by income, age, and race, while most procedures are safe.
Related reading
Demographic Statistics
185% of US abortions are among singles
Verified
2Globally, 59% of abortion patients have children
Verified
3In US 2021, 42% Black, 30% white, 21% Hispanic abortion patients
Verified
4Worldwide, women aged 20-29 account for 58% of abortions
Directional
5US abortion rate for Blacks is 28.6 per 1,000 women vs 6.4 for whites (2020)
Directional
675% of US abortion patients in 2014 were low-income
Verified
7Globally, rural women have 30% higher abortion rates than urban
Directional
8In US, 14% of abortion patients are adolescents under 20
Directional
9Married women comprise 14% of US abortion patients
Verified
10Worldwide, 70% of abortions are among women with 1+ prior births
Verified
11US college graduates are 10% of abortion patients
Verified
12In developing countries, poorest women have 2x abortion rate of richest
Verified
1349% of US abortion patients identify as religious
Verified
14Globally, adolescents 15-19 have 3.9 million abortions yearly
Directional
15US abortion ratio highest for Blacks at 386 per 1,000 live births (2020)
Directional
1627% of US abortion patients have incomes 100-199% FPL
Verified
17Worldwide, less educated women have higher unintended pregnancy rates leading to abortion
Verified
18In US 2021, 53% of abortion patients had high school or less education
Verified
19Catholic women are 23% of US abortion patients
Verified
20Globally, 45% of abortions among unmarried women
Verified
21US Native American/Alaska Native women have abortion rate 22.7 per 1,000
Single source
22In Africa, 72% of abortions among women 20+
Verified
2360% of US abortion patients previously gave birth
Directional
24Worldwide, abortion patients average 2.4 lifetime partners
Directional
25In US, Protestants 35%, no religion 24% among abortion patients
Verified
26Globally, 1 in 4 pregnancies among adolescents end in abortion
Verified
Demographic Statistics Interpretation
The numbers scream that abortion is not the abstract moral debate we imagine, but a stark mirror reflecting the persistent and unequal burdens of poverty, access, and circumstance that shape the most intimate decisions across the globe.
More related reading
Global Statistics
1In 2021, an estimated 73 million induced abortions occurred worldwide each year between 2015-2019
Verified
2Globally, 45% of all induced abortions are unsafe, resulting in 5-13% of maternal deaths
Single source
361% of all unintended pregnancies end in abortion worldwide
Verified
4In developing regions, 97% of abortions are unsafe compared to 7% in developed regions
Verified
5Worldwide, 25 million unsafe abortions occur annually
Single source
6Globally, the abortion rate declined from 40 to 39 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 between 1990-2014
Verified
7In Africa, the abortion rate is 32 per 1,000 women, highest among regions
Verified
856% of women in developing countries have an unmet need for modern contraception, leading to abortions
Verified
9Globally, 29% of pregnancies end in abortion
Verified
10In Asia, 50 million abortions occur annually
Verified
11Worldwide, post-abortion care treats complications from 7 million unsafe abortions yearly
Verified
12The global unintended pregnancy rate is 91 per 1,000 women aged 15-49
Verified
13In Latin America and the Caribbean, abortion rate is 32 per 1,000 women
Directional
1414 million abortions occur annually in Western Europe
Verified
15Globally, 3 out of 10 women have an abortion by age 45
Verified
16In Eastern Europe, abortion ratio is 43%
Verified
17Worldwide, repeat abortions account for 41% of all procedures
Directional
1875% of unsafe abortions occur in developing countries
Single source
19Global abortion rate for adolescents is 14.2 per 1,000 girls aged 15-19
Verified
20In Oceania, nearly all abortions (98%) are safe
Verified
21Worldwide, 55% of abortions are obtained by married women
Verified
2239% of global abortions occur among women aged 20-24
Verified
23In Southern Africa, 21% of pregnancies end in abortion
Verified
24Global maternal mortality from unsafe abortion is 47,000 deaths per year
Verified
2590% of unsafe abortions occur in developing countries
Verified
26Worldwide, the share of safe abortions increased from 50% in 1990-94 to 55% in 2010-14
Single source
27In Western Asia, abortion rate is 28 per 1,000 women
Single source
28Globally, 6% of women aged 15-49 have had an abortion
Single source
2973% of abortions worldwide are among women living in developing regions
Verified
30In 2015-2019, average abortion rate was 39 per 1,000 women aged 15–49 globally
Verified
Global Statistics Interpretation
These harrowing statistics reveal a grim global paradox where the staggering human cost of unsafe abortions persists not because of a lack of safe medical science, but because of a catastrophic failure to prioritize women's universal access to reproductive autonomy and healthcare.
More related reading
Health and Safety Statistics
1Globally, unsafe abortions cause 13% of all maternal deaths
Verified
2Post-abortion complications lead to 7 million women treated annually worldwide
Single source
3Safe abortion using WHO-recommended methods has no mortality risk
Verified
4In the US, major complications occur in <2% of abortions
Verified
5US abortion mortality rate is 0.41 deaths per 100,000 procedures (2013-2020)
Verified
6Medication abortion failure rate is 2-5% requiring follow-up
Verified
7Surgical abortion complication rate is 1.3% for first trimester
Verified
8Globally, 23% of unsafe abortions result in hemorrhage
Directional
9Infection rates post-abortion are <1% with antibiotics prophylaxis
Verified
10In low-resource settings, unsafe abortion sepsis causes 11% of maternal deaths
Verified
11US women undergoing abortion have lower maternal mortality risk than childbirth (14x lower)
Single source
1297% of US abortions are safe due to regulation
Single source
13Globally, pain from medical abortion is similar to first stage labor, manageable with meds
Verified
14Perforation risk in vacuum aspiration is 1-4 per 1,000 procedures
Verified
15Post-abortion mental health risks are not increased beyond general population
Verified
16In Africa, 62% of unsafe abortions are septic
Verified
17Cervical laceration occurs in 0.16-1.1% of first-trimester abortions
Single source
18Retained tissue after medical abortion occurs in 2-6%
Verified
19Globally, improving abortion safety could prevent 56,500 maternal deaths yearly
Verified
20US emergency room visits post-abortion are 2.1 per 1,000 procedures
Verified
21Hemorrhage risk post-second trimester abortion is 3.4%
Directional
22WHO Safe Abortion Care guidelines reduce complications by 90%
Verified
23In Latin America, unsafe abortions cause 31% of maternal deaths
Verified
24Anesthetic complications in abortion are <1 per 10,000
Verified
25Long-term fertility not affected by abortion
Verified
26Globally, adolescent abortion complication rate is higher at 5.7% for unsafe
Verified
27US abortion patients report high satisfaction: 99% do not regret
Directional
28In 2021, 57% of US abortion patients were poor (<100% FPL)
Verified
Health and Safety Statistics Interpretation
The statistics are clear: outlawing abortion does not end it but rather makes it a leading cause of death, while ensuring its safety makes it one of the most routine and regretted-less medical procedures in the world.
More related reading
Legal and Policy Statistics
1In 2022, 14 US states enacted 39 new abortion restrictions
Single source
2Post-Dobbs, 14 states banned abortion entirely by 2024
Directional
3Globally, 73 countries permit abortion on request, covering 70% of world population
Verified
4In US, gestational limits average 10 weeks in ban states post-Dobbs
Single source
5WHO recommends decriminalization of abortion in all circumstances
Verified
666 countries allow abortion to save woman's life only
Directional
7US medication abortion via mail increased 13x from 2017-2023 due to policy
Directional
8In Europe, Ireland legalized abortion in 2018, abortions rose to 6,682 in 2021
Directional
924 countries have total abortion bans, mostly in Africa/Latin America
Verified
10US Hyde Amendment blocks federal funding for abortions for poor women
Single source
11Globally, liberalization of laws increased safe abortions by 25%
Directional
12In Poland, 2020 near-total ban led to 30% drop in abortions
Verified
1398 countries permit abortion for health reasons
Verified
14US state funding for abortions covers only 15 states fully
Directional
15Mexico City legalized abortion in 2007, rate rose from 25 to 35 per 1,000
Verified
16FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, now used in 63% of US abortions
Single source
17In Argentina, 2020 legalization led to 40,000 safe abortions in 2021
Verified
1850+ US states require waiting periods or counseling pre-abortion
Verified
19Globally, parental consent laws for minors correlate with higher unsafe abortions
Directional
20Canada has no abortion law since 1988, rate stable at 10.6 per 1,000
Verified
21US TRAP laws closed 25% of clinics from 2011-2018
Directional
22In 2023, 7 states expanded abortion access post-Dobbs
Verified
23El Salvador total ban leads to 100+ year sentences for abortion
Verified
24Globally, 55 countries eased abortion laws since 1994
Single source
25US Dobbs decision (2022) returned regulation to states, banning in 14
Verified
26In US, 90% of counties lack abortion provider, exacerbated by laws
Single source
Legal and Policy Statistics Interpretation
While a global consensus moves toward safeguarding women's health, the U.S. is fragmenting into a dangerous patchwork where reproductive rights depend entirely on your zip code, forcing a thirteen-fold surge in medication-by-mail as a quiet rebellion against a system that has abandoned whole counties and criminalized basic care.
More related reading
United States Statistics
1In 2020, CDC reported 620,327 legal induced abortions in the US
Verified
2US abortion rate in 2020 was 11.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, down 2% from 2019
Verified
3Abortion ratio in US 2020 was 204 per 1,000 live births
Verified
493% of US abortions in 2020 were performed at ≤13 weeks gestation
Verified
5In 2021, Guttmacher estimated 930,160 abortions in US formal healthcare facilities
Single source
6US abortion rate declined 26% from 2008 to 2020, from 15.1 to 11.2 per 1,000 women
Verified
760% of US abortions in 2020 were medication abortions
Verified
8In 2020, 39% of US abortions were surgical, down from previous years
Single source
9Black women accounted for 38.4% of US abortions in 2020 despite being 13.6% of population
Verified
10Hispanic women had 18.6% of US abortions in 2020
Verified
11White women had 31.9% of US abortions in 2020
Verified
12In 2020, early medication abortion was 53% of all abortions reported to CDC
Directional
13US states reporting highest abortion rates in 2020: DC (50.7), NM (37.9), NJ (32.8) per 1,000 women
Verified
14From 2011-2020, US abortion ratio decreased 18%, from 219 to 204 per 1,000 live births
Single source
1592.8% of US abortions in 2020 occurred at ≤13 weeks, 6.0% at 14-20 weeks
Single source
16In 2021, telehealth abortions accounted for 1 in 5 medication abortions in US
Verified
17Guttmacher estimates 1,026,690 abortions in US in 2023, up from 2020
Single source
1851% of US women obtaining abortions in 2021 were mothers to 1+ children
Verified
19Median age of US abortion patients in 2021 was 28 years
Verified
2075% of US abortion patients in 2021 were low-income (≤199% federal poverty level)
Single source
2149% of US abortion patients in 2021 identified as non-white
Verified
22In 2020, NY reported 91,936 abortions, highest in US
Verified
23California reported 88,499 abortions in 2020
Single source
24Repeat abortions comprised 35.8% of US abortions in 2020 reporting areas
Single source
25In 2021, 86% of US counties had no abortion clinic
Verified
26Post-Dobbs, abortions in US states with bans dropped 10% but increased 26% in permissive states
Directional
27In 2023, ~1 in 3 US women aged 15-49 lived under total abortion bans
Verified
28US abortion rate for teens 15-19 fell 73% from 2007 to 2020
Verified
United States Statistics Interpretation
While the national numbers tell a tale of a cautiously declining trend, the glaringly disproportionate rates among Black women reveal a much harsher story, where access to reproductive healthcare remains deeply entwined with systemic inequality, not just personal choice.
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
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
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
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
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Abortion Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abortion-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Abortion Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/abortion-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Abortion Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abortion-statistics.
Sources & References
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who.int
- Reference 2GUTTMACHERguttmacher.org
guttmacher.org
- Reference 3UNFPAunfpa.org
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- Reference 4PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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- Reference 5CDCcdc.gov
cdc.gov
- Reference 6ACOGacog.org
acog.org
- Reference 7NATIONALPARTNERSHIPnationalpartnership.org
nationalpartnership.org
- Reference 8REPRODUCTIVERIGHTSreproductiverights.org
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- Reference 9KFFkff.org
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- Reference 10HSEhse.ie
hse.ie
- Reference 11FDAfda.gov
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- Reference 12PAGINA12pagina12.com.ar
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- Reference 13CIHIcihi.ca
cihi.ca
- Reference 14AMNESTYamnesty.org
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- Reference 15SUPREMECOURTsupremecourt.gov
supremecourt.gov