Poll: Abortion Rights

TOPLINES | GRAPHS

This Navigator Research report covers the latest perceptions of abortion rights three years following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

Three years after Roe was overturned, Americans remain steadfast in their support of abortion rights. By a 22-point margin, Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases (59 percent legal – 37 percent illegal). This has increased steadily over the last 6 years: in June of 2019, 54 percent believed abortion should be legal in all or most cases. That grew to 57 percent in June of 2022 following the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe.

• Both men and women have become more supportive over these last 6 years: In 2019 men believed abortion should be legal by net +10. That is now net +17. Women believed abortion should be legal by net +18; now net +27. Democrats (82 percent) , Americans living in the Northeast (70 percent), and Americans under the age of 35 (67 percent) are most supportive of abortion rights.
• The 2024 electorate was more supportive of abortion rights too. In a post-election survey of the 2024 electorate, 62 percent of 2024 voters believed abortion should be legal, up significantly from 2020 when 54 percent said the same.

A 56 percent majority continue to believe overturning Roe has been bad for the country, including a third of Republicans (32 percent). At the same time, 60 percent of Americans oppose further nationwide restrictions on abortion, including 42 percent who strongly oppose further restrictions.

Two thirds say abortion is at risk nationally, but perceptions vary on whether abortion is at risk state to state. 67 percent of Americans say the right to an abortion is at risk nationally, and more than three in five say the same regardless of whether they live in a state with new restrictions following the overturning of Roe (63 percent) or not (69 percent).

• Whether Americans believe abortion is at risk in their own state varies greatly: 60 percent of those living in a state with new restrictions say abortion is at risk in their state, a 17 point difference compared to those living in a state with no new restrictions (43 percent).

When it comes to the issue of abortion, 59 percent of Americans feel like the government has taken away Americans’ freedoms—a feeling that is equally pronounced among those who live in states with new restrictions (59 percent) and those in states with no new restrictions (58 percent).

• Nearly seven in ten Americans believe abortion will be even harder to access in the next 5 years (68 percent). At the same time, a plurality of Americans say that pregnancy in the U.S. is becoming less safe (42 percent), including nearly half of independents (46 percent) and women under the age of 55 (48 percent).

Two thirds say Trump and Republicans in Congress believe abortion should be illegal, but a smaller majority think they have already changed abortion laws in Trump’s second term. Nearly identical shares say both Trump (67 percent) and Republicans (68 percent) believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, but a smaller majority—53 percent—believe Trump and Republicans have done a lot or some to change abortion laws in the U.S. so far in Trump’s second term.

Two thirds of Americans think it is likely Trump and Republicans will pass further nationwide restrictions on abortion (65 percent), and an even greater share believe if Congress passed further restrictions on abortion nationwide, Trump is likely to sign them into law (74 percent).

• Democrats in Congress are more trusted than Republicans to protect the right to abortion (60 percent Democrats – 25 percent Trump/Republicans), including 62 percent of women who trust Democrats more to protect the right to abortion and abortion generally (53 percent Democrats – 35 percent Trump/Republicans).

Most Americans say they could not support an elected official who supports reproductive health care bans—specifically banning contraception (75 percent), banning IVF from being available for family planning (68 percent), and a nationwide abortion ban (66 percent). A majority also say they could not support someone who supports additional restrictions on abortion (58 percent) or supports allowing states to ban abortion (58 percent).

Americans are concerned about outcomes and potential legislation — but are hearing limited information about them. Among some outcomes that have occurred since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade some of the most concerning focus on visceral and dire impacts from women being denied care. At the same time, a majority of Americans say they have heard little or nothing about these stories.

Similarly, most Americans say they have little or nothing about Trump and Republicans’ policies related to abortion and reproductive care, but are deeply concerned about the proposals, specifically those that make it easier for states to deny women life-saving abortion care, even in a medical emergency.