National Library of Medicine
Americans’ feelings on abortion have held pretty steady over the past four years since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a new Gallup poll.
The backstory:
In the landmark case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion. The decision overturned Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), returning authority over abortion laws to individual states.
Gallup’s May 1–17 Values and Beliefs poll had 48% of Americans saying they would prefer abortion to be legalized in all (33%) or most (15%) circumstances. On the other hand, 49% would like to see it illegal (17%) or legal in only a few circumstances (32%). While far different than 25 years ago, those numbers have generally been the same since 2022.
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Americans’ views on legality of abortion
In the above poll, there was a large partisan difference between those saying abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, with 75% of democrats in favor versus only 15% of Republicans agreeing.
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Position on morality of abortion
The percentages of the American view on the morality of abortion also remained consistent with the 2022 numbers, with 49% saying abortion is morally accepted and 41% saying it is morally wrong.
There again were party differences in Americans’ attitudes, as well as gender differences in regard to the morality of abortion. More women said its morally acceptable versus men, 56% to 39%. Politically, it was 73% to 18% in favor of Democrats who agreed.
Pro-life or pro-choice
In the days following the Dobbs ruling, the number of Americans who identified as pro-choice held a majority over their pro-life counterparts for the first time in nearly two decades. But since then, numbers have not changed much, with 53% being pro-choice and 42% who call themselves pro-life.
Politically, four out of five democrats say they’re pro-choice. Only 17% of Republicans identify that way and just over half of independents (54%) say they are.
Local perspective:
Four years after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, Americans remain closely divided on abortion, though a slight majority continue to identify as pro-choice. Public opinion has largely stabilized since the ruling, while abortion access continues to vary widely across states and remains the subject of ongoing legal battles.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by Gallup. This story was reported from Orlando.