For a detailed analysis of Pew Research Center’s latest data on the U.S. public’s abortion attitudes, read “Nearly a Year After Roe’s Demise, Americans’ Views of Abortion Access Increasingly Vary by Where They Live.”
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Views on abortion, 1995-2022
While public support for legal abortion has fluctuated some in two decades of polling, it has remained relatively stable over the past several years. Currently, 61% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.
| Year | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 60% | 38% |
| 1996 | 57% | 40% |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | 54% | 42% |
| 1999 | 56% | 42% |
| 2000 | 53% | 43% |
| 2001 | 54% | 43% |
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 | 57% | 42% |
| 2004 | 55% | 43% |
| 2005 | 57% | 41% |
| 2006 | 51% | 43% |
| 2007 | 52% | 42% |
| 2008 | 54% | 40% |
| 2009 | 47% | 44% |
| 2010 | 50% | 44% |
| 2011 | 53% | 42% |
| 2012 | 54% | 39% |
| 2013 | 54% | 40% |
| 2014 | 55% | 40% |
| 2015 | 51% | 43% |
| 2016 | 57% | 39% |
| 2017 | 57% | 40% |
| 2018 | 58% | 37% |
| 2019 | 61% | 38% |
| 2020 | 60% | 38% |
| 2021 | 59% | 39% |
| 2022 | 61% | 37% |
Data from 1995-2005 from ABC News/Washington Post polls; data for 2006 from AP-Ipsos poll.
Views on abortion by religious affiliation, 2022
For the latest data on U.S. Catholics’ views of abortion, visit our 2024 Short Read, “9 facts about U.S. Catholics.”
About three-quarters of White evangelical Protestants (74%) think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.
By contrast, 84% of religiously unaffiliated Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, as do 66% of Black Protestants, 60% of White Protestants who are not evangelical, and 56% of Catholics.
| Religious Affiliation | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| White evangelical Protestant | 24% | 74% |
| White Protestant, not evangelical | 60% | 38% |
| Black Protestant | 66% | 28% |
| Catholic | 56% | 42% |
| Unaffiliated | 84% | 15% |
Views on abortion by party identification, 2022
Six-in-ten Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party (60%) say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. By contrast, 80% of Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
| Party Identification | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| Republican/lean Rep. | 38% | 60% |
| Democrat/lean Dem. | 80% | 18% |
Views on abortion by political party and ideology, 2022
Conservative Republicans and Republican leaners are far more likely to say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases than to say that it should be legal (72% vs. 27%). Among moderate and liberal Republicans, 60% say abortion should be legal, while 38% say it should be illegal.
The vast majority of liberal Democrats and Democratic leaners support legal abortion (90%), as do seven-in-ten conservative and moderate Democrats (72%).
| Political party and ideology | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative Republican/lean Rep. | 27% | 72% |
| Moderate/liberal Republican/lean Rep. | 60% | 38% |
| Conservative/moderate Democrat/lean Dem. | 72% | 26% |
| Liberal Democrat/lean Dem. | 90% | 9% |
Views on abortion by gender, 2022
Majorities of both men and women express support for legal abortion, though women are somewhat more likely than men to hold this view (63% vs. 58%).
| Gender | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 63% | 35% |
| Men | 58% | 41% |
Views on abortion by race and ethnicity, 2022
Majorities of adults across racial and ethnic groups express support for legal abortion. About three-quarters of Asian (74%) and two-thirds of Black adults (68%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, as do 60% of Hispanic adults and 59% of White adults.
| Race and ethnicity | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| White | 59% | 39% |
| Black | 68% | 27% |
| Hispanic | 60% | 40% |
| Asian | 74% | 26% |
Views on abortion by age, 2022
Among adults under age 30, 74% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, as do 62% of adults in their 30s and 40s. Among those in their 50s and early 60s, 55% express support for legal abortion, as do 54% of those ages 65 and older.
| Age | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| 18-29 | 74% | 25% |
| 30-49 | 62% | 37% |
| 50-64 | 55% | 42% |
| 65+ | 54% | 44% |
Views on abortion by level of education, 2022
Two-thirds of college graduates (66%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, as do 63% of those with some college education. Among those with a high school degree or less education, 54% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 44% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.
| Level of Education | Legal in all/most cases | Illegal in all/most cases |
|---|---|---|
| High school or less | 54% | 44% |
| Some college | 63% | 35% |
| College grad or more | 66% | 32% |
Source: Survey conducted March 7-13, 2022. Trend lines show aggregated data from polls conducted in each year. Data from 2019 and later come from Pew Research Center’s online American Trends Panel; prior data from telephone surveys. See report for more details on changes in survey mode. Question wording can be found here, and information on the Pew Research Center’s polling methodology can be found here. White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.
