How many abortions in the usa since overturn of roe v wade

1. What the headline numbers say — and where they come from

Multiple reputable projects and outlets report that total abortions in the U.S. increased after Dobbs: Guttmacher’s reporting (cited by The 19th) counted “more than a million” abortions in 2023 — the highest in recorded U.S. history — and the Society for Family Planning’s #WeCount project reported roughly 1.05 million in 2023 and 1.14 million in 2024, figures cited by KFF and The Guardian ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. How researchers measure abortions and why totals can differ

Abortion counts come from different sources with different methods: clinic censuses (Guttmacher), provider reporting and telehealth tracking (#WeCount), and government surveillance (CDC historically). These datasets vary in scope and lag, so differences in absolute totals — and sometimes timing — reflect methodology, coverage and whether telehealth and mail-order medication abortions are captured ^{[2] [4]}.

3. Telehealth and “shield laws” explain much of the increase

Analysts attribute a substantial share of post‑Dobbs growth to telehealth medication abortions and legal protections in some states. #WeCount and media reporting point to an expansion of telemedicine abortions and “shield laws” in at least eight states that protect clinicians treating patients from banned states, increasing cross‑state care and prescriptions by mail ^{[3] [2]}.

4. State-level variation: more abortions overall, but harder to access for many

National totals rose even as access narrowed in many states. Some jurisdictions enacted near‑total bans or strict limits; others expanded protections and telehealth access. That produced a geography of greater volumes in protected states and declines where bans took hold — for example, declines in Texas, Georgia and several Deep South states even as national numbers rose ^{[5] [6] [1]}.

5. Short‑term trends and 2024–2025 snapshots

#WeCount’s 2024 data show 1.14 million abortions, up from 1.05 million in 2023 ^{[2] [3]}. Other mid‑2025 reporting suggests shifts: some research found fewer clinician‑provided abortions in parts of 2025 compared with 2024 in states without near‑total bans, reflecting evolving patterns after new six‑week bans and other changes ^[7].

6. Political and policy context matters to interpretation

Researchers and reporters emphasize policy-driven behavior: state bans push people to travel, seek telehealth, or carry pregnancies to term when they cannot access care. Proponents of shield laws and expanded services argue those policies preserved and even increased care volume; opponents frame the same numbers differently, pointing to increased barriers for disadvantaged people. Both interpretations are present in the reporting ^{[3] [1] [6]}.

7. Limits of current reporting and what is not settled

Available sources note limitations: the CDC’s Abortion Surveillance system lags and its future updates were uncertain as of mid‑2025; estimates depend on whether telehealth and mail‑order pills are fully captured ^[2]. Available sources do not mention a single, definitive cumulative post‑Dobbs total across all years that would fully reconcile different datasets; they provide year‑by‑year estimates from distinct projects ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

8. What readers should take away

The best current, source‑based summary is that abortions in the U.S. increased in the years after Roe was overturned, exceeding one million in 2023 and rising to roughly 1.14 million in 2024 according to #WeCount and corroborated by multiple outlets; the rise is largely linked to telehealth and protective state policies even as access tightened in many states ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Interpretations differ by political and policy lens, and data gaps remain because sources use different methods and surveillance systems lag ^[2].

If you want, I can assemble a short table of year‑by‑year estimates from the sources cited here (Guttmacher/#WeCount/KFF/The Guardian) or summarize state‑level changes reported by #WeCount and Guttmacher.