The Top 5 Most Abortions in the United States by Year

  Year Number of Abortions Rate
1 1990 1,608,600 27.4 per 100,000
2 1988 1,590,800 27.3 per 100,000
3 1985 1,588,600 28.0 per 100,000
4 1981 1,577,300 29.3 per 100,000
5 1984 1,577,200 28.1 per 100,000
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 Special Report
  1. according to the report, the number of abortions declined by 8% between 2000 and 2005, from 1.31 million to 1.21 million abortions. The last year in which the number of abortions was lower was 1976. Similarly, the abortion rate of 19.4 per 1,000women aged 15-44 in 2005 represented a 9% decline over five years and was the lowest rate since 1974. (a.)
  2. Abortion rates declined faster between 2000 and 2005 than they had between 1996 and 2000 (5%). Slightly more than one in five pregnancies end in abortion in 2005, indicating that unwanted pregnancy is still a common occurrence in the United States. (a.)
  3. Abortion measures vary substantially by state and by region. Abortion rates were highest in the District of Columbia,New York and New Jersey (34– 54 per 1,000 women aged 15-44). Delaware, Florida, Maryland, California and Nevada also had relatively high rates (27 or more per 1,000 women). Rates were lowest (less than five per 1,000) in rural states that are less densely populated:Wyoming,Kentucky and Mississippi. Similarly, South Dakota, Idaho, Utah, West Virginia and Missouri had relatively low abortion rates (lower than seven per 1,000). (a.)
  4. As in prior years, the Northeast of the United States had the highest abortion rate, followed by the West, the South and the Midwest of the United States. Declines in the rate between 2000 and 2005 were most pronounced in the Midwest and the West (12%); the abortion rate dropped the least (3%) in the Northeast of the United States. (a.)
  5. There were 5,408,280 abortions performed in the United States for the combined 4 years of 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2005. (a.)
Top 5 facts sources:
  1. Jones, R., Zolna, ., Henshaw, S., Finer, L. (2005). "Abortion in the United States: Incidence and Access to Services". Retrieved Jan, 2011.
Tags: Top 5 Most, The United States, Abortion Statistics

Sources:  Guttmacher Institute Report: "Abortion in the United States: Incidence and Access to Services" 2005.

List Notes: Rate is abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 as of July 1 of each year.
Most Abortions in the United States by Year

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