Fact check: How many abortions are performed in the US total, and what percentage of that total is done by planned parenthood

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available data, the total number of abortions performed in the US varies significantly depending on the data source and methodology used:

Total Abortion Numbers:

• The CDC reported 613,383 total legal induced abortions in 2022 from 48 reporting areas ^[1]
• The Guttmacher Institute reported 930,160 abortions in 2020, which is substantially higher than CDC figures ^[2]
• For 2024, the Guttmacher Institute estimated 1,038,000 abortions were provided by clinicians in states without total bans, representing a 12% increase from 2020 ^[3]

Planned Parenthood's Share:

• Planned Parenthood performed 402,230 abortions in 2022-23, representing a record high and a 2% increase from the previous year ^[4]
• Using the CDC's 2022 figure of 613,383 total abortions, this would suggest Planned Parenthood performed approximately 65.6% of all reported abortions
• However, using Guttmacher's higher estimates would result in a significantly lower percentage

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several critical pieces of context are absent from a simple numerical comparison:

Data Collection Disparities:

The significant difference between CDC and Guttmacher figures stems from different data collection methods - Guttmacher collects data from all 50 states and uses estimates for non-responding providers, while CDC relies on voluntary state reporting ^[2]. This means the "true" total is likely higher than CDC figures suggest.

Changing Landscape:

The data reflects a rapidly evolving landscape with medication abortions accounting for 53.3% of all abortions and increasing 129% from 2013 to 2022 ^[5]. Additionally, 92.8% of abortions were performed at ≤13 weeks' gestation ^[5], indicating most procedures occur early in pregnancy.

Geographic and Access Variations:

The 2024 Guttmacher estimate specifically excludes states with total bans ^[3], highlighting how state-level restrictions significantly impact access and data collection. Regional data shows variation, with Planned Parenthood South Texas reporting that 7.5% of their patients accessed abortion care from 2015-2019 ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while straightforward, contains an implicit assumption that could lead to misleading conclusions:

Oversimplification of Complex Data:

The question assumes there is a single, definitive answer to both the total number of abortions and Planned Parenthood's percentage. However, the analyses reveal that different organizations use different methodologies, resulting in substantially different totals ^[2].

Temporal Inconsistencies:

Comparing Planned Parenthood's 2022-23 figures with various years of total abortion data ^{[7] [8] [9]} creates potential for misleading percentage calculations without acknowledging these temporal mismatches.

Missing Methodological Context:

The question doesn't account for the fact that CDC data comes from only 46-48 reporting areas while Guttmacher attempts to capture all 50 states ^[2], making direct percentage calculations potentially misleading without this crucial context.

The most accurate answer would acknowledge these data limitations and present ranges rather than definitive percentages, while noting that Planned Parenthood appears to perform a substantial portion of abortions in the United States based on available data.