Black women in the United States obtain abortions at a rate of 28.6 per 1,000 compared with 6.4 for white women. An estimated 73 million induced abortions occur worldwide each year. The data break down patterns by age, income, procedure type, and complication rates.
Key Takeaways
- US abortions by race 2020: non-Hispanic black 38.4%, white 32.5%, Hispanic 21.8%
- Globally, an estimated 73 million induced abortions occur annually, equating to 39 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-49 years
- US complication rate for legal abortion: <0.5% major, mostly infection/hemorrhage
- US 2020: early medication abortions 54% of total, surgical curettage 39%
- In the United States, 930,160 abortions were reported in 2020, a 2% decline from 2019
Abortion statistics show where access, need, and outcomes vary most across regions and time.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographic Statistics24 stats
01
US abortions by race 2020: non-Hispanic black 38.4%, white 32.5%, Hispanic 21.8%
02
2019 abortion patients: 60% aged 18-29, 14% under 18, 12% 30-34
03
US women obtaining abortions: 75% have prior live birth, 59% low-income 2014
04
Black women US abortion rate 28.6 per 1,000 (2021), vs white 6.4, Hispanic 11.0
05
42% of abortion patients identify as Protestant, 26% no religion, 22% Catholic (2014)
06
Adolescents <15: 0.2% of abortions, 15-19: 8.5% in 2021 CDC data
07
49% of US abortion patients below federal poverty level, 26% 100-199% FPL (2014)
08
Hispanic women abortion ratio 17% higher than whites, rate 18% higher (2020)
09
65% single/never married among abortion patients, 14% cohabiting (2014)
10
Non-Hispanic black women: 39% of abortions despite 13% population (2021)
11
Age-specific rates 2021: peak 20-24 at 25.1 per 1,000, <15 at 0.6
12
51% of patients college-educated or higher? No, 58% high school or less (2014)
13
White women 33% of abortions, 52% population share (2020)
14
85% urban residency for abortion patients, 72% prior birth among 18+ (2014)
15
Abortion ratio by race 2021: black 428 per 1,000 births, white 104
16
34% of patients had prior abortion, rising with age to 50% for 30+ (2014)
17
Medicaid-eligible likely for 70% if funded, but patients pay out-of-pocket mostly
18
Teen abortion rates: 8.6 per 1,000 (15-19) in 2020, down 88% since 1991
19
67% previous births among patients over 25, vs 15% no births under 20 (2014)
20
Other races (Asian/PI) 6% of abortions, rate 8.5 per 1,000 (2021)
21
56% of patients white non-Hispanic? No, 39% white, 36% black, 18% Hispanic (2014)
22
Marital status: 82% unmarried, highest among 20-24 at 91% (2021 rates)
23
Education: 66% ≤ high school among patients under 30 (2014)
24
In 2021, 93% abortions by known age: 57% 20-29 years old group
Interpretation
Demographic Statistics Interpretation
These sobering statistics, where a Black woman is six times more likely than her white counterpart to face this decision while also being disproportionately poor and unmarried, reveal not a moral failing but a systemic one, where access to healthcare, economic security, and social support is grotesquely stratified along racial lines.
02 · Category
Global Statistics30 stats
01
Globally, an estimated 73 million induced abortions occur annually, equating to 39 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-49 years
02
Between 2015-2019, 61% of unintended pregnancies worldwide ended in abortion, affecting 45% of pregnancies in developing regions
03
In 2020, the global abortion rate was 39 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, highest in Africa at 47 per 1,000
04
Worldwide, 97% of abortions occur in developing countries, with 61% in Asia alone from 2010-2014 data
05
An estimated 25 million unsafe abortions occur yearly globally, causing 47,000 maternal deaths
06
Global lifetime incidence of abortion is 1 in 4 women, rising to 1 in 3 in Europe, per 2017 estimates
07
In low-income countries, abortion rates are 36 per 1,000 women aged 15-44, compared to 17 in high-income nations
08
From 1990-2019, global unintended pregnancy rate dropped 16% but abortion ratio stable at 42%
09
56% of global abortions are unsafe, concentrated in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
10
Worldwide, adolescents aged 15-19 account for 3% of abortions but have higher complication rates
11
In 2019, Latin America had 4.7 million abortions despite restrictive laws, rate of 32 per 1,000
12
Global abortion incidence peaked at 73 million in 2020, up from 56 million in 1990-1994
13
45% of all induced abortions worldwide are unsafe, leading to 7 million complications annually
14
Eastern Africa has the highest unsafe abortion rate at 36 per 1,000 women aged 15-49
15
Globally, repeat abortions constitute 40-50% of cases in surveyed countries
16
In 2015-2019, Western Europe abortion rate was 14 per 1,000, lowest globally among regions
17
9% of maternal deaths worldwide are due to unsafe abortion, totaling 13% in Africa
18
Global abortion ratio is 29%, meaning 29 abortions per 100 pregnancies, 2015-2019
19
South-Eastern Asia sees 29 million abortions yearly, 49% unsafe
20
From 1995-2019, global abortion rate declined 43% in developed regions but only 10% in developing
21
Oceania has abortion rate of 17 per 1,000 women, with Australia at 12.3 per 1,000 in 2020
22
73% of abortions in developing regions are among married women, vs 32% in developed
23
Western Africa abortion rate 3.9 per 1,000 pregnancies, highest unintended pregnancy termination
24
Globally, 14 million abortions yearly among adolescents, 3.9 per 1,000 girls aged 15-19
25
Central Asia abortion rate 35 per 1,000 women, down from 90 in 1990s due to contraceptive use
26
50 million women in developing countries have lifetime abortion experience
27
Eastern Europe abortion rate 27 per 1,000 in 2010-2014, highest among developed regions
28
Global cost of unsafe abortions is $553 million annually in health care expenses
29
Southern Africa 15% maternal mortality from abortion, vs global 4.7%
30
2020 global abortions: 45% medication, 55% surgical, varying by region access
Interpretation
Global Statistics Interpretation
The grim math of unintended pregnancy persists globally, where the staggering 73 million annual abortions—disproportionately unsafe and fatal in developing nations—reveal not a failure of women's choices, but a catastrophic failure of health systems and reproductive policy.
03 · Category
Health and Safety Statistics23 stats
01
US complication rate for legal abortion: <0.5% major, mostly infection/hemorrhage
02
CDC surveillance 2019: 0.41 complications per 100 abortions at clinics
03
Maternal mortality ratio for abortion 0.41 per 100,000 legal procedures vs 23.8 live births
04
Infection rate post-abortion <1%, reduced by doxycycline prophylaxis
05
Hemorrhage requiring transfusion: 0.06-0.4% for first trimester procedures
06
No deaths from legal abortion 2013-2019 CDC data, 14 unsafe cases investigated
07
Medication abortion incomplete: 2-5%, managed by misoprostol or aspiration
08
Perforation risk: 0.1-4 per 1,000 surgical first trimester, lower with ultrasound
09
Mental health: no increased risk of depression/anxiety post-abortion vs childbirth
10
Cervical laceration: 0.16-1.1% aspiration procedures
11
Retained products: 0.5-2% surgical, treated expectantly or re-aspiration
12
Ectopic pregnancy risk unchanged post-abortion, 1-2% baseline
13
Future fertility: no impact from uncomplicated abortion, per longitudinal studies
14
VTE risk medication abortion 0.2-0.5 per 10,000, similar to early pregnancy loss
15
Second trimester complication rate 2-4x first trimester, mostly bleeding
16
Breast cancer link: no causal association per 2018 NAS report reviewing 100+ studies
17
Preterm birth risk slightly elevated after multiple D&E (OR 1.9), single negligible
18
Pain management: 70% report moderate-severe pain, NSAIDs effective 80%
19
Sepsis mortality near zero with prompt care, <0.0001%
20
Regret rates: 6% at 5 years post-abortion vs 11% full-term
21
Rh isoimmunization prevented in 99% with anti-D globulin
22
Cardiac events: no increased MI/stroke risk post-procedure
23
Emergency room visits post-medication: 2.3%, mostly bleeding/cramping
Interpretation
Health and Safety Statistics Interpretation
The data shows that while no medical procedure is without risk, legal abortion in the United States has a safety record so robust that, statistically, you're significantly more likely to suffer a serious complication from giving birth than from ending a pregnancy.
More related reading
04 · Category
Procedural Statistics23 stats
01
US 2020: early medication abortions 54% of total, surgical curettage 39%
02
Gestational age 2021: 92.8% ≤13 weeks, 5.7% 14-20 weeks, 1.4% ≥21 weeks
03
Medication abortion share rose from 35% in 2017 to 53% in 2020 nationally
04
63% of abortions <9 weeks gestation in 2020, eligible for medication regimen
05
Surgical abortions: aspiration 88%, D&E 10% for ≥14 weeks (2021 data)
06
By method 2020: suction curettage 52%, medication 54%, sharp curettage 1%
07
Instillation procedures <0.5% of US abortions, used ≥16 weeks rarely
08
2023 telehealth medication abortions: 20% of total, up from 5% pre-Dobbs
09
Early abortions (≤8 weeks): 65% medication, 32% aspiration in 2021
10
Hysterotomy/hysterectomy <0.3% of procedures, reserved for late-term medical cases
11
Second trimester abortions (14-20 weeks): 95% D&E nationally in 2020
12
Mifepristone/misoprostol regimen used in 98% medication abortions ≤10 weeks
13
Clinic surgical volume average 1,717 abortions/year per provider in 2020
14
6-week limit states saw shift to medication early, but 75% still ≤6 weeks eligible
15
Unknown method 5% in CDC reports due to non-reporting states
16
Aspiration curettage dominant for 9-13 weeks: 90% of cases in 2021
17
Post-2022, shield laws enable mail-order mifepristone for 63% of US population
18
Dilation and evacuation: 96% of ≥21 week abortions (rare, 1%)
19
Outpatient medication success rate 94-98% for ≤11 weeks, per FDA labeling
20
2020 trends: medication abortions up 12% year-over-year due to COVID telehealth
21
Manual vacuum aspiration used in 5-10% early surgical procedures
22
Electric vacuum aspiration 85% of first-trimester surgical abortions
23
Gestational limit: 39 states report method by trimester, 93% early
Interpretation
Procedural Statistics Interpretation
While the American abortion landscape often feels like a political chessboard, the actual data paints a more intimate and evolving picture: a clear majority of abortions now occur very early via medication, a quiet yet profound shift toward personal privacy and medical accessibility that even restrictive laws are struggling to contain.
05 · Category
US National Statistics30 stats
01
In the United States, 930,160 abortions were reported in 2020, a 2% decline from 2019
02
US abortion rate in 2020 was 11.2 per 1,000 women aged 15-44, lowest since 1973
03
Abortion ratio in US 2020 was 204 per 1,000 live births, down 3% from 2019
04
From 2011-2021, US abortions increased 6% overall, but declined 26% in states with bans
05
2023 estimate: 1,037,000 abortions in US, highest in 10 years post-Dobbs
06
CDC reports 620,327 abortions in 2021 from 46 states/DC, excluding big states like CA
07
US lifetime abortion incidence: 1 in 4 women by age 45, per 2014-2019 data
08
Abortions dropped 20% from 2012 peak of 1.06 million to 862,320 in 2017
09
In 2020, New York reported 75,000 abortions, highest state total
10
US abortion providers: 1,530 in 2020, down from 1,800 in 2017
11
Post-Roe v Wade overturn, 2022 abortions fell 1.5% nationally but rose in permissive states
12
2019 US abortion rate: 13.5 per 1,000 women 15-44, varying from 3.5 in WY to 27.5 in NY
13
Over 40 years (1973-2014), US abortions declined 32% from 1.25 million peak
14
2021 abortion ratio highest in DC at 508 per 1,000 live births
15
Guttmacher estimates 862,000 abortions in 2017, 13% below 2014 peak
16
From 2008-2014, early medication abortions rose from 17% to 23% of total
17
US abortions: 92% before 13 weeks in 2021 CDC data
18
2020 Texas abortions: 53,871, down 3% but pre-ban surge
19
National decline in teen abortions: 79% from 2007 to 2020 (15-19 age group)
20
US repeat abortions: 45% of patients had prior abortion per 2014 data
21
California reported 166,750 abortions in 2020, largest number nationally
22
Abortion rate for women 15-44 fell 21% from 2007-2020 in reporting areas
23
2015-2020, US gestational age: 93% at ≤13 weeks, 6% 14-20 weeks
24
Post-Dobbs 2023: abortions up 13% in states without bans vs down 27% with total bans
25
US abortion clinics: 772 in 2020 providing 55% of abortions, rest medication/telehealth
26
In 2021, Florida abortions: 74,860, up 9% from 2020
27
US women obtaining abortions: 59% low-income (<100% poverty), 2014 data
28
From 1973-2020, cumulative US abortions exceed 63 million reported
29
New Jersey 2020 abortions: 40,316, rate 16.8 per 1,000 women 15-44
30
In 2020, 49% of US abortions were by early medication (≤9 weeks)
Interpretation
US National Statistics Interpretation
The national decline in abortion rates is a misleadingly serene headline, as it papers over a stark and deliberate political sorting where access has become a cruel geography of haves and have-nots.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Abortions Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abortions-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Abortions Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/abortions-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Abortions Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abortions-statistics.
Sources & references
13 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level