Abortions increased 8 percent between 2017 and 2020, new report shows

Planned Parenthood
(Image credit: LPETTET/iStock)

The number of abortions performed in the United States rose eight percent in a three-year period — from 862,320 in 2017 to 930,160 by 2020 — marking a significant uptick in the number of abortions performed nationally after nearly three decades of decline, according to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute.

The abortion rate jumped from 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age to 14.4 during those same three years, though Politico notes that the actual rate is probably higher, as women are increasingly taking abortion pills at home, and Guttmacher only counted abortions performed at medical facilities.

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.