In the newest numbers released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of abortions has continued to decrease since a peak in 1990.
In 2018, the latest year for which there is data, the CDC reported 619,591 abortions in the United States. That represents a 57% drop from the 1,429,247 abortions in 1990.
The trend has been a consistent decline since the high in 1990, with the last decade showing a 25% drop. Despite a much larger population today, current abortion numbers are almost equal to those recorded in 1973, the year abortion was legalized by the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case.
Dr. Michael New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute credited the efforts of pro-life citizens as being the most reasonable explanation behind the precipitous drop in abortion rates.
"The main reason why abortion rates are falling is not because there are fewer unintended pregnancies," New said. "In fact, the unintended pregnancy rate has fluctuated since 1981. An important reason is that a higher percentage of unintended pregnancies are being carried to term. This shows the pro-life educational, service, and, yes, legislative efforts have all been effective at reducing the incidence of abortion."
