Some Abortion Statistics

The following annual statistics for abortion in the United States are helpful in understanding the background of the pro-life pro-choice debate.  There are 1.2 million abortions in the US every year.

1. Unintended pregnancies account for almost half of all pregnancies.
   
   
2. Four out of ten unintended pregnancies end in abortion.
   
   
3. Out of the total number of pregnancies (intended and unintended), 24% are terminated by abortion.
   
   
4. For women ages 15-44, two out of every hundred have an abortion. Of these, 48% have had one or more abortions previously.
   
   
5. For women choosing abortion, 52% are under 25. Teenagers account for 19%, and women 20-24 account for 33%.
   
   
6. As compared to white women, black women are almost four times as likely to have an abortion. For Latino women, the number is 2.5 times.
   
   
7. Women who have never been married account for 2/3 of all abortions.
   
   
8. The majority of women choosing abortion are already mothers who have had one or more children. They make up over 60% of all abortions.
   
   
9. Women who have never used any method of birth control account for 8% of all abortions.
   
   
10. For women having abortions, 43% describe themselves as Protestant and 27% identify as Catholic.

_{Source:
Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States. Guttmacher Institute May 2006}