(ZENIT News / Washington, 05.26.2025).- More than 1.1 million abortions were performed by licensed providers in the United States between July 2023 and June 2024, according to a new and unprecedented analysis from the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI). The number serves as the most comprehensive national estimate in the post-Roe era, though researchers caution that even this figure doesn’t tell the full story.
The study marks the first time data from various abortion sources—including clinics, hospitals, and virtual providers—have been systematically aggregated and cross-analyzed to produce a single national estimate. Drawing heavily on figures from #WeCount and the Guttmacher Institute—two pro-choice research groups often cited due to the lack of federal abortion reporting—the report attempts to offer a clearer picture of a fragmented data landscape.
Despite the methodological rigor behind the study, CLI researchers are quick to point out the limitations. The U.S. has no federal mandate requiring abortion reporting, and data on medication abortions—especially those facilitated through international mail-order services—are virtually impossible to track with precision.
“We can’t give an absolute number,” said Mia Steupert, associate scholar at CLI and lead author of the report. “But what we can offer is the most detailed approximation currently possible, using the sources that exist and interpreting them with transparency.”
This includes accounting for providers who do not share raw data with the public, even though they are the frontline of abortion services in America. Both Guttmacher and #WeCount receive direct figures from abortion facilities but do not disclose those base numbers—an asymmetry that has frustrated researchers seeking a fuller, ideologically balanced view.
The release of this report comes at a moment of high political and ethical sensitivity. Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion access has become a patchwork of state laws, legal challenges, and evolving clinical practices. Without reliable and centralized data, public health policy risks being built on assumptions rather than evidence.
“Abortion statistics are not just numbers—they shape policy, influence court cases, and define the limits of state power,” said Karen Czarnecki, executive director of CLI. “The absence of federal requirements has left a vacuum in which advocacy groups dominate the data narrative. We’re trying to bring a different lens, one that highlights the missing pieces as much as the known totals.”
What the Numbers Suggest
While the 1.1 million figure may resemble totals seen in years prior to Roe’s fall, the geography and method of abortion are changing. Preliminary reviews suggest increases in telemedicine and cross-border care, with some states experiencing a surge in procedures while others report near-zero numbers due to restrictive laws. These dynamics, however, remain speculative without full access to reporting from all 50 states and from the international suppliers who are increasingly shaping the abortion landscape.
The CLI report does more than tally procedures—it raises foundational questions about transparency, consistency, and accountability in public health data. For now, 1.1 million remains a working benchmark—significant, sobering, and incomplete.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
