According to a Pew Research Center survey released on Wednesday, an increasing percentage of residents in states with abortion bans say it would be challenging to get an abortion.
Why it’s important The topic of abortion is expected to be a major talking point in the 2024 presidential election, with both President Biden and the Republican candidates attempting to lay out their opposing positions.
According to statistics, 71% of people in states where abortion has been outlawed say it would be challenging to get an abortion, up from 50% in 2019.
In states where abortion is restricted or is in a legal dispute, 56% of those surveyed said it would be difficult to obtain an abortion, compared to 41% who said so four years ago.
In states where the procedure remains legal, there was only a small increase in those who said getting an abortion would be difficult, from 19% in 2019 to 22% in 2023.
Nationwide, only 54% of Americans said it would be very or somewhat easy to obtain an abortion, down from the 64% who said so in 2019.
State of play: Nearly a year after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision ended the constitutional right to abortion, 80% of Americans say their views of the issue have not changed since the ruling.
Abortion remains popular, with 62% of people surveyed saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
What’s more, 34% of Americans surveyed said it should be easier to get an abortion in the area where they live, up eight points from 2019.
Methodology: The Pew Research poll was conducted March 27 to April 2. The poll is based on a sample of 5,079 panelists, with a margin of error of ± 1.7 percentage points.
