National abortion volumes in the United States slightly increased over the three-year period following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, according to data from the Society for Family Planning’s #WeCount project. Despite initial expectations that the repeal of federal abortion rights and subsequent state-level bans would drive down overall numbers, the monthly abortion volume rose from a monthly average of 85,780 in 2023 to 93,900 in 2025, reaching 1.13 million total abortions that year compared to 1.05 million in 2023.
Tracking Abortion Volume: CDC and SFP Data
Three primary organizations track abortion volume and rates nationwide: the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Guttmacher Institute, and the Society for Family Planning (SFP) through its #WeCount project. According to the CDC’s Abortion Surveillance System, which relies on voluntary reporting from state health agencies, there were 609,360 abortions reported in 2022 at a rate of 11.2 per 1,000 women, excluding jurisdictions such as California, Maryland, and New Hampshire that do not report to the federal system. Federal tracking has faced disruptions since the start of the second Trump administration, leaving researchers largely dependent on independent groups.
The Guttmacher Institute, an independent research organization, utilizes its Monthly Abortion Provision Study to track formal healthcare system abortion volumes. Meanwhile, the SFP #WeCount project provides semiannual reports tracking both in-person and telehealth procedures since April 2022. While the CDC and Guttmacher data historically show different baseline numbers due to differing collection methodologies and reporting completeness, both indicate that national rates remained steady or slightly increased in the years immediately preceding the 2022 Dobbs ruling, following a longer decade-long decline driven by expanded contraceptive use.
Drivers of the Post-Dobbs Volume Increase
The unexpected rise in national abortion totals following state-level restrictions stems from a combination of expanded telehealth capacity, broader medication abortion access, shield laws, and interstate travel. Medication abortion, which accounts for roughly 65% of all national procedures, can be administered remotely via telehealth under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines updated in 2021 and 2023 to allow retail pharmacy dispensing and mailing of mifepristone. Data from the SFP show that telehealth abortions accounted for 28% of all abortions in 2025, with more than half of those provided across state lines via protective state shield laws.
Economic factors also separate virtual care from traditional clinics. According to comparative data, the median price for a medication abortion at a brick-and-mortar clinic rose from $580 in 2021 to $600 in 2023, while virtual clinic pricing dropped from $239 to $150 over the same period. Additionally, national and local abortion funds reported a 39% increase in support requests following the Dobbs decision, financially assisting more than 100,000 patients.
State-Level Protections and Interstate Travel
While 13 states enacted complete bans and six implemented early gestational restrictions following the 2022 ruling, other states moved to codify protections. Furthermore, 12 states mandate private plan coverage of abortion services, and 20 Medicaid programs utilize state-only funds to cover medically necessary procedures outside federal Hyde Amendment limitations.
Interstate travel for care has simultaneously surged. Guttmacher Institute estimates show that 142,000 patients traveled across state lines for care in 2025, up significantly from 81,000 travelers in 2020. States bordering restrictive jurisdictions absorbed the highest influx of out-of-state patients last year, led by Illinois with 32,560 patients, North Carolina with 17,870, Kansas with 13,630, and New Mexico with 10,180.
Future Outlook and Regulatory Challenges
Despite the three-year post-Dobbs increase in total volume, future abortion access remains vulnerable to shifting federal policies and ongoing legal challenges. Potential executive actions by the Trump administration could restrict the distribution of medication abortion pills via the Comstock Act or alter FDA regulations governing telehealth provision, threatening access even in states that have enacted protective laws.
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