According to the most recent national abortion data, 74,244 pregnant women traveled outside of their areas of residence for abortions in 2021. That’s 11.9% of all abortions reported that year. California, Maryland, New Hampshire, and New Jersey did not submit abortion data.
Where are people traveling to get abortions?
Washington, DC, had the highest rate of non-residents traveling for an abortion, at 70.8% and Kansas had the second highest rate at 49.9%.
Abortion medication is available in Kansas, though abortions are prohibited after 22 weeks of gestation. Surrounding states Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma all have laws prohibiting abortion regardless of gestational age.
Abortion medication is available in Washington, DC, and in nearby Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
In 2023, Idaho passed a law restricting helping a pregnant minor get an abortion out-of-state, whether through a procedure or medication, without a parent or guardian.
Which states have the highest number of residents getting abortions out of state?
A pregnant woman might leave her state for an abortion if her home state’s laws restrict access to the procedure. She might also travel because the nearest abortion clinic is in another state.
In 2021, 1% of Missouri residents who received an abortion stayed in the state for the procedure, totaling 116 abortions that year. As of June 2022, Missouri prohibited all abortions regardless of gestational age.
Where does the data come from?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requests abortion data from the central health agencies for each state, Washington, DC, and New York City. Reporting is voluntary. California, Maryland, New Hampshire, and New Jersey did not submit abortion data for 2021.
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